Astronomy vs Astrology
Thursday July 31, 2003
Are you trying to find out more about the difference between astronomy and astrology? Astrology and astronomy grew up together throughout a large portion of human history. The two cannot ... Read More
Recruiting for Jihad
Thursday July 31, 2003
Islamic extremists are making important gains in Pakistan, managing to appeal to more and more people as they recruit youth for their jihad against the West. There are reports that ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses Covering Up Sexual Abuse?
Thursday July 31, 2003
According to a number of lawsuits filed in places like California, Jehovah's Witnesses officials have been deliberately covering up alleged sexual abuse of children by leaders and other officials of ... Read More
Religion & Harry Potter
Thursday July 31, 2003
Evangelical complaints about Harry Potter typically center on two things: first that it portrays witchcraft in a positive light and second that it portrays decisions about good and evil outside ... Read More
This Date in History: Juan Diego Canonized
Thursday July 31, 2003
July 31, 2002: Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego, an Indian born before Europeans arrived in the New World. According to church tradition, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to ... Read More
In Defense of Suicide Bombings
Thursday July 31, 2003
Most people tend to condemn suicide bombings - but not everyone. There are religious and ideological leaders who praise suicide bombers and who give a theoretical and theological justification to ... Read More
Lawsuit Against Priest has Profound, Practical Implications
Thursday July 31, 2003
A lawsuit against a priest whose eulogy said that the deceased went to hell may sound like nonsense, but it does have important implications for religious groups. Why? Because if ... Read More
Anti-Christ of North Carolina
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Barbara Ehrenreich's recent book about poverty in America, "Nickel and Dimed," is causing quite a stir in North Carolina, where incoming students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ... Read More
Ten Commandments Stay in Pittsburgh
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Because of the decision of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow a Ten Commandments plaque to remain on the courthouse in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chief U.S. District ... Read More
Anti-Semitism and Hatred in California Cross Controversy
Wednesday July 30, 2003
For many years there have been court battles and controversy over a 90-year old cross in Ventura's Grant Park. Some believe that it violates the separation of church and state ... Read More
Dalai Lama Misses Sex, Shoots Guns
Wednesday July 30, 2003
The Dalai Lama is generally regarded as a very holy man - but it seems that he would be among the first to remind others that the "man" part is ... Read More
Charities Supporting Boy Scouts, Despite Bigotry
Wednesday July 30, 2003
The Boy Scouts' discrimination against gays and atheists has caused many charities and government organizations to end their support of that group (although most seem more concerned about discrimination against ... Read More
Wahhabism and Islam
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Are you looking for more information about the Wahhabi sect of Islam? The faith is a puritanical concept of unitarianism (the oneness of God) that was preached by Muhammad ibn ... Read More
Captives for Jesus
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Want to know what President George Bush has in mind for his faith-based programs? You need look no further than InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI), praised by the administration as a ... Read More
Muslim Women on the Move
Wednesday July 30, 2003
The traditional image in the West of women in Islam is that of a repressed human being with little or no rights, opportunities, or means of improving herself. At times ... Read More
This Date in History: In God We Trust
Wednesday July 30, 2003
July 30, 1956: The phrase "In God We Trust" was adopted as the U.S. national motto.
More:
Separation of Church and State 101
Atheists' Discrimination Lawsuit Reinstated
Wednesday July 30, 2003
A discrimination lawsuit filed by an atheist against Associates Commerce Solutions and CitiGroup has been reinstated after the judge was asked to reconsider his dismissal. According to the plaintiff's lawyers, ... Read More
Muslims Can Divorce Via Text Messaging
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Under Islamic law, men are allowed to divorce their wives by simply saying the word 'talaq' - I divorce you - three times to them. One might think that this ... Read More
Church Urges Scouts to Drop Gay Ban
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Many charities and other non-profit groups oppose the Boy Scouts' discrimination against gays, but a few churches are adding their voices to the anti-discrimination side of the debate as well. ... Read More
Mormons Facing Tough Times in Russia
Wednesday July 30, 2003
Preferential treatment of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Russia can make things very difficult for Mormon missionaries there. They aren't even officially registered as a church - they are merely ... Read More
Vatican Fighting Same-Sex Marriage
Tuesday July 29, 2003
The Vatican is, naturally enough, opposed to marriages between people of the same sex. But while it is one thing for them to oppose any such marriages taking place in ... Read More
Public Funding of Clergy Training
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Should the public help finance people's educational training for becoming ministers and priests? That's what many want and they are hoping that an upcoming Supreme Court case will force the ... Read More
Atheists Want to be Heard
Tuesday July 29, 2003
What do atheists want? Well, they want pretty much the same things that everyone else wants - and they don't want others to stop showing them basic respect and consideration ... Read More
Baptists for Pluralism
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Southern Baptists are often seen as being on the forefront of efforts to evangelize America and eliminate religious diversity in favor of their own religious vision. The truth, however, is ... Read More
Jesus: the Other White Meat
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Sometimes it takes satire to force us to take certain ideas and principles seriously - usually the ones that have been around so long that we've forgotten to really look ... Read More
School Tried to Push Theism
Tuesday July 29, 2003
For some reason, a school district in Texas thought it might be appropriate to advocate theism in its students. The proposed language in their "Strategic Plan" read that the belief ... Read More
This Date in History: Pope Urban II
Tuesday July 29, 2003
July 29, 1099: Pope Urban II died. Urban followed the lead set by his predecessor, Gregory VII, by working to enhance the power of the papacy against the power of ... Read More
Anti-Gay Congregation Loses Rights to Church
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Disagreement over the status of gay clergy can often split a church congregation - not just figuratively but also literally. That's the situation that a Methodist church in South Auckland, ... Read More
Living in Sin
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Most people in America today still believe that it is immoral to have extramarital sex - but the moral prohibitions against premarital sex have largely disappeared. This conflicts with most ... Read More
Church Buys Porn Store
Tuesday July 29, 2003
The Kingdom Life Christian Church in Milford, Connecticut is getting into the pornography business - sort of. They are the new landlord for Video Pleasures, a store specializing in pornography. ... Read More
Eroticism, Sexuality, and the Bible
Tuesday July 29, 2003
Recently Received: The Erotic Word: Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Bible, by David McLain Carr.
Traditional perceptions of the Bible - both on the part of believers and non-believers - is that it serves ... Read More
Mormon Fury Over Taliban Analogy
Monday July 28, 2003
Mormons tend to be very defensive of their church - even more so than other Christian denominations, it seems. Thus it comes as no surprise that a recent book that ... Read More
William Bennett Admits to Losing, Lying
Monday July 28, 2003
A prominent advocate of family values and traditional, religion-based morality, William Bennett was recently found out to have bet large amounts of money in various forms of gambling - a ... Read More
Anti-Catholicism in the Senate?
Monday July 28, 2003
America has a long and sordid association with Anti-Catholic bigotry and discrimination - but is that rearing its ugly head again in national politics? Some Republicans are alleging and Democratic ... Read More
Arafat and the Temple Mount
Monday July 28, 2003
Once again, it seems, Palestinian leaders are inflaming public opinion over the status and fate of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is a powerful religious symbol claimed ... Read More
A Sikh in the Senate?
Monday July 28, 2003
The United States isn't known for it's great diversity - whether in terms of race, gender, or religion. There is, however, a chance that for the first time ever a ... Read More
Supreme Regime Change
Monday July 28, 2003
For those who can be counted as religious conservatives, evangelicals, or fundamentalists, what is the most pressing issue facing America? Is it poverty, unemployment, and the economy? Is it the ... Read More
This Date in History: Karl Popper
Monday July 28, 2003
July 28, 1902: Philosopher and scientist Karl Popper was born in Vienna, Austria.
More:
Biographies of Famous Philosophers
Homosexual Agenda: Silence Christians
Monday July 28, 2003
Finally, the truth can be revealed! Just in case you thought that the openly secret "homosexual agenda" had something to do with being fashionably dressed or something equally trivial, it ... Read More
Priest Refuses Paternity Test
Monday July 28, 2003
With all of the publicity given to the sexual abuse of children by priests, we don't often hear about the suffering and problems of adults who get involved in sexual ... Read More
Government Must Acknowledge God
Monday July 28, 2003
For many religious conservatives, evangelicals, and fundamentalists, a government that does not acknowledge the existence and sovereignty of God is not a valid government. This is a major premise which ... Read More
Church of England: Defender Against Faith?
Monday July 28, 2003
Churches are typically regarded as institutions which protect and defend traditional religious beliefs; while this may be true, there are also other ways to look at them. One particularly interesting ... Read More
Christian Sects & Denominations
Sunday July 27, 2003
Were you trying to find more information on various Christian sects, denominations, and other related religious groups? There are a wide variety of groups associated with Christianity. There are official ... Read More
Unselfish Genes
Sunday July 27, 2003
It has become accepted wisdom that evolution is driven by genes that act for themselves and themselves alone - any benefit to the social group is incidental. A few biologists, ... Read More
This Date in History: Martin Luther
Sunday July 27, 2003
July 27, 1516: Martin Luther preached his first sermon against the practice of selling Indulgences.
More:
Reformation
Augsburg Confession
Atheists, Activist Courts, and Constitutional Ignorance
Sunday July 27, 2003
Are activist courts and judges being duped by atheists to make bad decisions that rely upon an ignorance of the Constitution? That's what a lot of religious conservatives believe. According ... Read More
Religious Freedom Under A Living Constitution
Sunday July 27, 2003
Sometimes lost in the discussion over the recent Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas (that struck down sodomy laws) is that decision's reliance upon the principle that the Constitution ... Read More
Clash of Civilizations: The West's Fault
Sunday July 27, 2003
Many people regard the current conflicts in the world as representing a "conflict of civilizations" - with the West on the one side and Islam on the other. Malaysian Prime ... Read More
Organ Transplants
Saturday July 26, 2003
Are you looking for more information about the ethical issues raised by organ transplants? At first it might mot seem like this is a matter with much ethical difficulty - ... Read More
More Religious Discrimination Against Wicca
Saturday July 26, 2003
It seems that discrimination against Wiccans and all things Wicca continues to be popular - even when the consequences may be unprofitable. Apparently, the California-based apparel and accessory retail chain ... Read More
Christian Science in Trouble?
Saturday July 26, 2003
Christian Science, founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, is one of just a few religions truly indigenous to the United States from the modern era. It's future, however, is ... Read More
Witch Killers of Africa
Saturday July 26, 2003
Witch hunts in Europe and America may be largely a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean that they have disappeared from human culture entirely. Africa in particular is ... Read More
This Date in History: Nasser and the Suez Canal
Saturday July 26, 2003
July 26, 1956: Gamal Abdal Nasser forcibly nationalized the Suez Canal, leading to a violent response from France, Israel, and Great Britain. The Soviet Union threatened to intervene, but American ... Read More
Sodomite War Machine
Saturday July 26, 2003
Beware of the citizens of New Sodom! They are coming to corrupt your religion, recruit your children, and otherwise just ruin your day. They are operating the "sodomite war machine" ... Read More
Philippines: Just 15% Attend Mass
Saturday July 26, 2003
Concerns about dwindling attendance to traditional religious services is not a problem that afflicts only the United States and Europe - evidently, it's occurring in the Philippines as well. Cebu ... Read More
Biology, Evolution, and Behavior
Saturday July 26, 2003
Recently Received: Triumph of Sociobiology, by John Alcock.
Sociobiology has been controversial since it was first proposed by Edward Osborne Wilson in his 1975 book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. His ideas were ... Read More
Abstinence-Only Education: Junk Science
Friday July 25, 2003
For religious conservatives, the only good sex education in public schools is one that emphasizes abstinence - not as simply one means of many to deal with sexuality or even ... Read More
Witch Trials in South Africa
Friday July 25, 2003
In South Africa, it is not only illegal to accuse someone of being a witch, it is also illegal to hire someone to "sniff out" witches - such actions usually ... Read More
Arizona Governor Defends the Ten Commandments
Friday July 25, 2003
Why won't Governor Janet Napolitano remove a Ten Commandments monument from a state-owned park? She agrees that most of the case law on the issue indicates that it will have ... Read More
This Date in History: Constantine & Christianity
Friday July 25, 2003
July 25, 326: In a public mark of his acceptance of Christianity as the official state religion, Constantine refused to carry out the traditional pagan sacrifices.
More:
Christian History
Wiccans Sue for Prayer Inclusion
Friday July 25, 2003
Christian prayers organized by and delivered to government bodies are under fire once again - this time in Richmond, Virginia. The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors of opening their meetings ... Read More
Gay, HIV+, and Orthodox Jew
Friday July 25, 2003
It's not easy being gay and HIV positive - but it's even more difficult if you are also an Orthodox Jew. Neither the medical condition nor the sexual orientation are ... Read More
Polish Artist Convicted of Blasphemy
Friday July 25, 2003
Making the wrong artistic choices can have awful penalties in Poland, one of the countries where blasphemy is still a crime that is taken seriously. Church and state aren't separated ... Read More
Poll: Islam Encourages Violence
Friday July 25, 2003
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Americans for Islam. Although many responsible leaders have urged Americans not to see ... Read More
Anti-American Terrorism
Friday July 25, 2003
Recently Received: Anti-American Terrorism and the Middle East: A Documentary Reader, edited by Barry M. Rubin and Judith Colp Rubin.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 was a rude surprise for many people - but less ... Read More
Religion Not the Issue
Thursday July 24, 2003
Many people feel that the question of religion is central to the so-called "culture wars" in America: either we accept the dominant authority of religion or we become irreligious, godless, ... Read More
Teachers Becoming Unwitting Missionaries
Thursday July 24, 2003
Under normal circumstances, the principle that religious groups should be given the same access to public facilities as secular groups makes a lot of sense. Known as "Equal Access," it ... Read More
Fortuneteller Licenses: Biased?
Thursday July 24, 2003
Legislators in San Francisco have passed a tough new ordinance designed to help crack down on people who commit fraud and deception through fortunetelling and psychic guidance as scams. It ... Read More
Solidarity, Authority, and Group Conflict
Thursday July 24, 2003
A recent post Chris Bertram over at the group blog "Crooked Timber" addresses a very interesting question: what is "group solidarity" and how does it influence our reasoning process? More ... Read More
This Date in History: Free Speech Decision
Thursday July 24, 2003
July 24, 2000: The Ninth Circuit Court ruled in the case of Free Speech Coalition v. Reno that the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) violated the First Amendment, particularly with ... Read More
Priest Allegedly Paid to Rape Boys
Thursday July 24, 2003
Documents recently submitted in a civil case against the Boston Archdiocese over their failure to deal with priests who sexually abused boys contain shocking allegations about how the Rev. Paul ... Read More
Atheist Priest Regains Faith
Thursday July 24, 2003
What happens when a priest loses his faith in the existence of God? He is removed from his post - even if his parishioners want him to return. Well, to ... Read More
Bible Plaques Return to Grand Canyon
Thursday July 24, 2003
First taken down just a few days ago, three bronze plaques bearing quotes from the Bible have been restored to their former positions around the Grand Canyon. Originally removed due ... Read More
RFID Tags: The End of Privacy?
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Imagine this: you walk into a local store and within seconds the people on duty know your pants size (and how much it fluctuates), that you prefer chocolate ice cream, ... Read More
Female Genital Mutilation in the United States
Wednesday July 23, 2003
For the first time ever, there is a criminal case in the United States stemming from Female Genital Mutilation - the practice of "circumcising" a female infant or toddler. The ... Read More
Muslims and Jews Threatened in France
Wednesday July 23, 2003
The situation for Muslims and Jews has been getting steadily worse in France - unfortunately, instead of banding together and presenting a united front against prejudice and discrimination, they have ... Read More
Cult Exploiting Kids?
Wednesday July 23, 2003
A religious group in Australia is being criticized for what people allege is its exploitation of children. Pastor Sasha Alexander, leader of Flame Ministry, claims to have been appointed a ... Read More
This Date in History: Rindfleish Persecutions
Wednesday July 23, 2003
July 23, 1298: The Jewish community of Wurzburg, Germany was destroyed in what came to be known as the Rindfleish Persecutions.
More:
Antisemitism
Tolkien Abuse Case Settled
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Although the name J.R.R Tolkien is famous for the man's writings, not as many are familiar with his son, John Tolkien, became a priest in the Church of England. Fewer ... Read More
James Ossuary Owner Arrested
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Oded Golan, an Israeli antiquities dealer who became famous around the world for his discovery of an ossuary that supposedly bore the earliest written reference to Jesus, validating at least ... Read More
Last Four Shakers
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Although they flourished during the 1800s, the Christian group known as the Shakers (because of their ritual dancing known as "shaking") is dying out. In fact, there are only four ... Read More
Anti-Sodomy Defense Mirrors Slavery Defense
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Those who disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to strike down anti-sodomy laws are sincere in their beliefs - and indeed, it is entirely possible that their arguments are valid. ... Read More
Mountain Meadows Massacre
Wednesday July 23, 2003
Recently Received: American Massacre: The Tragedy At Mountain Meadows, September 1857, by Sally Denton.
The deaths of over 100 settlers is still a sore point for the Mormon Church - not only ... Read More
Did the Anglican Church Cover Up Sex Abuse and Rape?
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Questions about the status of gay priests, gay bishops, and gay unions are not the only sex-related issue causing trouble for the Anglican church. Recent evidence indicates that the church ... Read More
Lights, Camera, Apocalypse!
Tuesday July 22, 2003
The end of the world is very popular, it seems. Christian fiction that depicts Armageddon, the end of human history where Christ and Antichrist enter into open combat, keeps setting ... Read More
Bibles, Hymns, and Guns
Tuesday July 22, 2003
No, it's not a new measure proposed by a group from the Religious Right. It is, rather, the basic principles behind the Front for National Liberation (FNL), a Hutu ... Read More
Warren County Trusts in God
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Trusting in God seems to be a popular pastime with some government leaders. In Warren County, New Jersey, the Board of Freeholders has voted to post the motto "In God ... Read More
Pat Robertson & Charles Taylor
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Pat Robertson Defends a Dictator: In 1989, Charles Taylor seized power in Liberia. In 1997, he was elected president, but many observers said that the elections were fraudulent. Taylor is ... Read More
Anti-Catholic Bias in Russia
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Eastern Orthodox Churches have long dominated countries like Russia - they are so much a part of the historical and cultural landscape that many regard the presence of other Christian ... Read More
Episcopal Priests Break with Vancouver
Tuesday July 22, 2003
The debate over homosexuality within the Anglican church is taking a turn for the worse. Because the Vancouver diocese has decided to bless gay unions, 24 conservative U.S. bishops have ... Read More
This Date in History: Pilgrims
Tuesday July 22, 2003
July 22, 1620: Under the leadership of John Robinson, English Separatists began to emigrate to North America - eventually, they came to be known as the Pilgrims.
More:
Books on American ... Read More
God Orders Killing?
Tuesday July 22, 2003
If you think that God has ordered you to kill someone, would you do it? Most would probably (hopefully) answer no, but that's a curious response. After all, the Bible ... Read More
Roman Catholic Hypocrisy
Tuesday July 22, 2003
Why do various religious groups want to hold others to standards that they themselves are exempt from? The latest case comes New Jersey where there parents of a man killed ... Read More
Religion, not God, Removed from Grand Canyon
Monday July 21, 2003
The decision by the National Park Service to remove religious plaques from sites around the Grand Canyon has drawn a lot of criticism - but it has also drawn some ... Read More
Evolution: Students Should See Different Views
Monday July 21, 2003
According to Minnesota's education commissioner, students who are learning biology should be "exposed to differing views on the subject" when it comes to the topic of evolution. This, apparently, is ... Read More
Hindu Militants on the March
Monday July 21, 2003
Militants in India are pressing again to have their religious demands met by the government and by the Muslim minority, no matter what the consequences. The insist that a temple ... Read More
Gay Bishop Seeks Blessing
Monday July 21, 2003
Canon Gene Robinson of New Hampshire is expected to be elected as a bishop in the Anglican Church. So what? Well, he's gay - and he's not even celibate. The ... Read More
Anti-Abortion Paranoia Affecting Consumers
Monday July 21, 2003
It's always a shame when religious fanaticism causes problems with issues that should normally be totally unrelated to religious debates - but that's just what is occurring now. Representative Gil ... Read More
Athens' First Mosque: Not In My Backyard!
Monday July 21, 2003
Although Eastern Orthodox Christian dominates in Greece, the government has been promising for 20 years to allow for the construction of a mosque in Athens. Now that the Olympic Games ... Read More
Ohio Obscenity Law Challenged
Monday July 21, 2003
As reported here earlier, obscenity laws in America may be in danger due to the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas to strike down sodomy laws. I didn't realize, ... Read More
Imposing Sharia to Combat AIDS
Monday July 21, 2003
Efforts to combat the spread of HIV and AIDs are especially important in Africa where infection and death rates are exceptionally high. The Muslim leadership in Muheza district of Tanzania ... Read More
This Date in History: Scopes Monkey Trial
Monday July 21, 2003
July 21, 1925: The infamous "Monkey Trial" ended and John Scopes was found guilty of teaching Darwinism.
More:
What is Evolution?
What is Science?
Intelligent Design in Biology Texts
Monday July 21, 2003
Support for pushing the agenda of Intelligent Design comes from large, powerful, and well-financed groups who are seeking to have the nation's biology texts altered in a way that discredits ... Read More
Hasidic Rebel
Monday July 21, 2003
Hasidic Jews live in very tightly-knit communities and in narrowly circumscribed cultural worlds. For them, anyone rebelling against the community's norms is big news - after all, they aren't just ... Read More
Hindu Militants Training Children
Monday July 21, 2003
The extremist rhetoric that comes from Hindu militants in India regularly has people worried; a recent development, however, is more troubling than most. According to reports the women's wing of ... Read More
Campus Crusade Founder Bill Bright Dies
Monday July 21, 2003
William R. "Bill" Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, died on July 19 at the age of 81 from complications related to pulmonary fibrosis - a disease he had ... Read More
Muslims Defaming Islam
Sunday July 20, 2003
Suicide bombing carried out by Muslim extremists have become so common that when one hears about a suicide bombing, it seems almost unnecessary to add that it was done by ... Read More
Orthodox Jews Free to Ignore Zoning Laws?
Sunday July 20, 2003
Should religious groups be free from following certain laws that cause them inconvenience? The Los Angeles seems to think so - it went around its own zoning ordinances in order ... Read More
Religious Clubs Can Meet During School Day
Sunday July 20, 2003
If a school allows secular student groups to meet when students have free time during the school day, then religious student groups must be accorded the same rights. That's how ... Read More
Neo-Nazis Allied with Jews
Sunday July 20, 2003
Religious hatred makes for even stranger bedfellows than politics, it seems. French neo-Nazis have joined up with Jewish extremists in an effort to spread hateful messages and ideas about a ... Read More
Opus Dei
Sunday July 20, 2003
Are you looking for more information on the site about Opus Dei? Founded in Spain in 1928 by Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, a Roman Catholic priest, Opus Dei has ... Read More
Bollywood Star Receiving Death Threats
Sunday July 20, 2003
Is a Muslim fit to portray a Hindu god in a movie? Some don't seem to think so - and they are sending death threats to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan ... Read More
Priest Suspended Over Ecumenical Efforts
Sunday July 20, 2003
Sometimes it just doesn't pay to try and foster better relations between different Christian denominations. That was, presumably, the goal of Gotthold Hasenhuettl, a priest and theology professor at the ... Read More
This Date in History: Charles Darwin
Sunday July 20, 2003
July 20, 1858: Charles Darwin began writing his seminal book, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
More:
What is Evolution?
What is Science?
New Zealand Muslims Criticize Muslim MP
Sunday July 20, 2003
What happens when a politician refuses to let his religion dictate how he votes over laws that affect others? He gets attacked by members of his religion, that's what happens. ... Read More
Charles Darwin and The Trials of Evolution
Sunday July 20, 2003
Book Review: Trials of the Monkey Trials of the Monkey: An Accidental Memoir, by Matthew Chapman.
What would Charles Darwin have thought about the infamous "Scopes Monkey Trial" in Dayton, Tennessee ... Read More
References to Jihad Banned
Saturday July 19, 2003
Saudi Arabian officials have long resisted any admission that the Wahhabi brand of Islam which they support has been a prime mover behind Islamic extremism and terrorism around the world. ... Read More
Uniting Church Could Split Over Gay Priests
Saturday July 19, 2003
Disagreements over the possible role of gay clergy in a Christian denomination are causing anger in Australia now. Australia's third-largest Christian denomination, the Uniting Church, has voted overwhelmingly to permit ... Read More
Musing About Equal Rights for Women Leads to Death Threats
Saturday July 19, 2003
Even speculating about social reform and equal rights for women can get you in trouble in Saudi Arabia. That's has had to Arab News columnist Hussein Shobokshi. After he mused ... Read More
School Board's Prayers Questioned
Saturday July 19, 2003
In many small communities across America, the dominance of and preference for Christianity tends to go unquestioned - and then when someone actually does stand up and say something, people ... Read More
Beware of Gay Canadians
Saturday July 19, 2003
I'll bet you didn't realize that gay Canadians are a problem in the United States? Neither did I - but that appears to be the position of the White House ... Read More
Islam vs. Buddhism: Grudge Match
Saturday July 19, 2003
Ghazi Khankan, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations wants an apology. Apparently Rev. Jisei Nagasaka, a Buddhist priest, has said that "Islam is a false religion" and ... Read More
Faith-Based Science
Saturday July 19, 2003
We have all sorts of efforts by the government to promote various forms of faith-based solutions to different social problems - so why doesn't the government get involved with pushing ... Read More
This Date in History: American Unitarian Association Founded
Saturday July 19, 2003
July 19, 1825: Liberal members of Congregational churches in New England founded the American Unitarian Association.
More:
Books on American Religion
Religion at the United Nations
Saturday July 19, 2003
Religion is a vital aspect of the lives and cultures of most people around the world. The role of religion in politics, both domestic and international, cannot be denied and ... Read More
Enforced Patriotism Ruled Unconstitutional
Saturday July 19, 2003
According to a federal court, schools in Pennsylvania cannot constitutionally require students to either say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the national anthem each morning. It is true that ... Read More
Religion Hiding Hate, Racism
Saturday July 19, 2003
Religious believers typically see their faith as a force for good in the world; sometimes, however, it is readily used as a force for hate, violence, and evil. It isn't ... Read More
America's Most Famous Atheist
Saturday July 19, 2003
Book Review: The Atheist: Madalyn Murray O'Hair, by Bryan F. Le Beau.
Madalyn Murray O'Hair is a figure who resonates strongly for people across America - unfortunately, that resonance is ... Read More
Paper Pants at the Vatican
Friday July 18, 2003
Is it a new fashion for Catholic priests? No, and it's not a new dress code for visitors, either - not quite, at least. Instead, the paper pants are a ... Read More
Civil Disobedience in Defense of the Ten Commandments
Friday July 18, 2003
It is understood that fundamentalists are upset over the idea that the government shouldn't be allowed to promote Christianity by posting a Christian version of the Ten Commandments or in ... Read More
Wahhabis in Iraq
Friday July 18, 2003
The Wahhabi brand of Islam has played an important role in the development of extremist, fundamentalist Islam in the world - often because it is so heavily funded by the ... Read More
Going to Hell? Go to Court!
Friday July 18, 2003
Christians don't normally like to think of deceased relatives suffering in Hell - and they would surely like it even less if their priest or minister informed them that their ... Read More
Burning Bushes Explained
Friday July 18, 2003
The story of the burning bush out of which God spoke to Moses plays an important role in Old Testament mythology. Interestingly, Norwegian researchers may have found out how and ... Read More
Killing Jews: Religious Obligation for Muslims?
Friday July 18, 2003
Is it true that some Muslims believe that killing Jews is a holy religious obligation? There is a Hadith tradition which reads: "Muhammad said in his Hadith: "The Hour [Day ... Read More
Discrimination Against Rastafarians
Friday July 18, 2003
Jamaica may be the place where the Rastafarian religion started, but Rastafarians often aren't made to feel welcome there. Members of this faith are regularly made to feel like second-class ... Read More
Did Honolulu Promote Christianity in Family Day Parade?
Friday July 18, 2003
The ACLU has filed two lawsuits against the city of Honolulu over their handling of a Family Day event and parade over the July 4th weekend, 2003. The first was ... Read More
This Date in History: Papal Infallibility
Friday July 18, 2003
July 18, 1870: By a vote of 533 to 2, the doctrine of papal infallibility was defined as dogma by the Roman Catholic Church.
More:
Popes
Roman Catholicism
Benny Hinn Continues Crusade
Friday July 18, 2003
Despite strong criticism from both Christians and nonbelievers. Benny Hinn's travelling crusades and daily television program keep moving along - to the tune of $100 to $200 million dollars a ... Read More
Religious Monument Must Go
Friday July 18, 2003
Around the nation many communities have religious monuments, plaques, and displays of varying sorts. Most were donated by private organizations, but others were erected and continue to be maintained with ... Read More
Save Hinduism from the Hindus
Friday July 18, 2003
Has Hindu nationalism and fanaticism in India gone too far? It certainly seems like that might be the case - the attacks upon and disrespect shown towards the Muslim minority ... Read More
Crisis and History in the Middle East
Friday July 18, 2003
Book Review: What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response, by Bernard Lewis.
The only way to really understand the problems in the Middle East is to better understand its ... Read More
Video Games Corrupting Morals in Afghanistan
Thursday July 17, 2003
Parents and moralists in America complain regularly about the effects that video games have on young people and, occasionally, talk about solutions like stricter ratings. In Afghanistan, however, they are ... Read More
Scarborough Praises Fundamentalist Website
Thursday July 17, 2003
On a recent episode of MSNBC's Scarborough Country, host Joe Scarborough interviewed Ted Baehr and praised Baehr's website MovieGuide.org. So far, no problem. It also turns out that this site ... Read More
Increase in Humanist Funeral Services
Thursday July 17, 2003
Most people associate funeral services with religious services - indeed, for many, the only religious services they ever attend as adults involve marriages and funerals. As humanists and various nonbelievers ... Read More
God, Atheism, and Theism
Thursday July 17, 2003
What is God? What's the point of debating the possible existence of ""God" if no one has tried to come to some sort of agreement as to what they mean ... Read More
Halal Certification Voided in Philippines
Thursday July 17, 2003
Should government agencies get involved with deciding and certifying what food does or does not meet certain religious dietary guidelines? That's what was occurring in the Phillipines, but no longer ... Read More
Copyrights and Creativity
Thursday July 17, 2003
Is the current scheme of copyright laws necessary in order to maintain production and creativity when it comes to intellectual property? That's what many assume, but it is arguably not ... Read More
Public Money for Church Repairs
Thursday July 17, 2003
Government funding is always a temptation, even for religious organizations - but it is a temptation that really should be resisted. One of the more recent temptations that are afflicting ... Read More
This Date in History: Carl G. Jung
Thursday July 17, 2003
July 17, 1902: Carl G. Jung was awarded the MD degree by the University of Zürich.
More:
Recently Reviewed Books on Psychology and Sociology
Buddhist Training for Police
Thursday July 17, 2003
Soon the police, firefighters and healthcare workers in Madison, Wisconsin, will partake of a stress management workshop that includes training with the Buddhist monk. This choice was evidently made in ... Read More
Judge Strikes Part of RLUIPA
Thursday July 17, 2003
Passed in 2000, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) was designed to force the government to pass strict tests before doing anything that might infringe upon the ... Read More
Questioning Freud
Thursday July 17, 2003
Book Review: Unauthorized Freud: Doubters Confront a Legend, edited Frederick Crews.
Freud is widely considered to be one of the "giants" of the modern human sciences. Is this a justified evaluation ... Read More
Religion Behind Bali Bombing
Wednesday July 16, 2003
According to Amrozi, a mechanic accused of being behind the bombing in Bali that killed over 200 people in October 2002, the motivation was religion, not regional militants. He has ... Read More
Saving H.L. Mencken's House
Wednesday July 16, 2003
H.L. Mencken lived in his Baltimore home for nearly 45 years - most of his professional life. After his brother August died, the house went to the University of Maryland ... Read More
Evangelicals New "Witch Burners"
Wednesday July 16, 2003
The conflict within the Church of England is becoming more and more contentious over time. One of the consequences is that people are coming to see the evangelical Christians as ... Read More
Christians Spreading Hate for Islam
Wednesday July 16, 2003
Are some Christian groups promoting hatred for Islam? That certainly seems to be the case, with one example being Rev. Dr. Norman L. Geisler. According to Geisler, Islam is dangerously ... Read More
Kenyan Christian Leaders Attack Gays
Wednesday July 16, 2003
The Anglican Church broke away from Roman Catholicism in 1534 when the English Parliament passed the Supremacy Act, but one thing is bringing them closer together in Kenya: opposition to ... Read More
Protecting the Fetus
Wednesday July 16, 2003
Drug Use & Fetal Abuse: Should women who abuse drugs while they are pregnant be charged with delivery of drugs to a minor and child abuse after their baby is ... Read More
School Pushing Christianity on Students
Wednesday July 16, 2003
According to critics, the staff at Gardiner High School in Montana are using their positions to push Christian beliefs on students. The principal denies the allegations, but his actions are ... Read More
Operation Save America: A Christian Crusade
Wednesday July 16, 2003
Government officials have recently had to issue warnings about the threat of possible terrorist attacks my Muslims, but less reported are warnings about the threat posed by Christian extremists. Police ... Read More
This Date in History
Wednesday July 16, 2003
July 16, 1054: The Western Christian Church, in an effort to further enhance its power, had tried to impose Latin rites on Greek churches in southern Italy in 1052; as ... Read More
Religion Dividing Europe from United States
Wednesday July 16, 2003
It has been said that England and America are divided by a common language; it may be that very soon Europe and America will be divided by a common religious ... Read More
California Judges Must Reveal Ties to Boy Scouts
Wednesday July 16, 2003
Judges in California aren't banned from being involved with or members of the Boy Scouts, but a decision by the California Supreme Court comes close to that. At a recent ... Read More
Bible Verses Removed from Grand Canyon
Wednesday July 16, 2003
For more than 30 years, several popular viewing points overlooking the Grand Canyon have had plaques displaying biblical verses like Psalms 68:4, 66:4 and 104:24. That, however, is coming to ... Read More
Muslims Fight to Open Mosque
Tuesday July 15, 2003
It can be difficult for members of a minority religious faith to open up their own permanent house of worship. But to what degree are such difficulties the consequence of ... Read More
Evangelicals Seeking to Control Church of England
Tuesday July 15, 2003
What will the future direction of the Church of England be? For a long time it has taken a relatively moderate course - sometimes leaning conservative, sometimes leading liberal. The ... Read More
No Headscarves for French Civil Servants
Tuesday July 15, 2003
An administrative court in Lyon has ruled that Nadjet ben Abdallah, a 33-year-old work inspector for the Lyon city government may justifiably be sanctioned by a disciplinary committee for having ... Read More
Catholic Clergy Abusing Adults, Too
Tuesday July 15, 2003
The spate of scandals involving Roman Catholic clergy who have abused children has shaken many people's confidence both in the Roman Catholic hierarchy and in the institution of celibacy which ... Read More
Baptists Approve of Gay-Friendly Association
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Southern Baptists are commonly seen as opponents of social progress in America, for example working within their own ranks to make sure that women do not become pastors. They are ... Read More
Sex, Gender, and Ethics
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Ethics of Gender Selection: Should parents be able to select the gender of their child? Would it be ethical for people with fertility problems to choose which fertilized embryos get ... Read More
Kinder, Gentler Inquisition?
Tuesday July 15, 2003
The common understanding of Galileo's encounter with the Inquisition involves Galileo fighting for scientific truth while the Roman Catholic Church, through the Inquisition, is fighting a doomed rearguard action against ... Read More
Teens Admit to Crop Circles
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Recently in Fairfield County the largest crop circles ever to be seen in the United States appeared, leading to a rush of visitors and, of course, a rush to find ... Read More
Phyllis Diller: Atheist
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Recent news has provided a wider population with the fact that Katharine Hepburn was an atheist and that Barry White was a skeptic when it came to traditional religion. Now, ... Read More
This Date in History
Tuesday July 15, 2003
July 15, 1205: Pope Innocent III asserted that Jews are doomed to perpetual servitude and subjugation due to role in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
More:
Popes
Antisemitism
Islamic Scholars Condemn Terrorism
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Very often the most prominent Islamic scholars that are seen in the West are those who condemn the West, attack Western actions, and call upon Muslims to engage in jihad ... Read More
Clergy Back Gay Marriage
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Not all religious leaders condemn the idea of same-sex couples being able to legally marry in America. One recent sign of that is the creation of the Colorado Clergy for ... Read More
Impeach the Supreme Court!
Tuesday July 15, 2003
Many religious conservatives are upset at the Supreme Court ruling that struck down a Texas law criminalizing sodomy. A common reaction is to want to work to get more conservative ... Read More
Katharine Hepburn Burning in Hell?
Monday July 14, 2003
People who read this site regularly will probably have seen my earlier post in which I explained how the recently deceased Katharine Hepburn was an atheist. This fact has passed ... Read More
President Bush's Religious War Against Evil
Monday July 14, 2003
Is the war against terrorism a political or a religious struggle? One might be forgiven for assuming that it is a political struggle - an effort to eliminate the use ... Read More
Moving Towards a Regime Change in Philosophy
Monday July 14, 2003
For a long time, the history of philosophy has had a bad reputation in philosophy - many, but especially those who identified with analytic philosophy - regarded the mundane recounting ... Read More
Bible: Great Fiction & Racy Read?
Monday July 14, 2003
Does the Bible really need a new translation? That's what Sidney Brichto, an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi, believes. According to Brichto, "The Bible has been tainted by holiness." By that he ... Read More
Same Sex Marriage in Star Wars?
Monday July 14, 2003
The question of whether members of the same sex should be allowed to marry is one which is a hot topic in American society - but it is also becoming ... Read More
What is Sikhism?
Monday July 14, 2003
Sikhism FAQ Sikhism is not as well known or understood in the West as other monotheistic faiths. That is unfortunate - Sikh conflicts with Hindus in India regularly threaten to ... Read More
Hotel Bibles a Thing of the Past?
Monday July 14, 2003
For a long time, it was a standard part of the hotel experience to find a copy of a Gideon Bible somewhere in the room. Those days may, however, be ... Read More
False Teachings Harm Muslims
Monday July 14, 2003
One of the questions that concerns Arab Muslims most intensely is: What went wrong? Specifically, they wonder why it is that today they have been overtaken in culture, power, and ... Read More
Faith-Based Drug Treatment
Monday July 14, 2003
President Bush is a big believer in faith - he seems to feel that faith and religion are cures for just about every social problem that exists. This is especially ... Read More
Christian Evangelism Invites Muslim Backlash
Monday July 14, 2003
For the United States to really be able to play a role in the development of peace in the Middle East, Arab Muslims have to be able to trust both ... Read More
Judge Nixes Anti-Abortion Plates
Monday July 14, 2003
Is there anything wrong with state crating specialty plates that benefit the pro-life cause but not any plates that benefit the pro-choice cause? Yes, according to U.S. District Judge Stanwood ... Read More
School Board Approves Bible Class
Monday July 14, 2003
The school board of Richmond County, Georgia, has approved a plan that would allow public school students to leave school to attend a weekly 45-minute Bible class at the local ... Read More
Mountaineer in Trouble: No Prayers to God
Monday July 14, 2003
Many are familiar with the story of Aron Ralston who had to amputate his own arm when trapped under a boulder and far from help. Less familiar is the story ... Read More
State Charity List Drops Boy Scouts
Monday July 14, 2003
The Boy Scouts have insisted against all detractors, even internal, that they are right to exclude atheists and gays both from the ranks and from the leadership. One consequence of ... Read More
Fighting to Allow Gay Clubs at Schools
Sunday July 13, 2003
With the budgetary problems facing governments at all levels, you would think that agencies would avoid wasting funds foolishly - but not in Boyd County, Kentucky or in Lubbock, Texas. ... Read More
Science Textbook Battles in Texas
Sunday July 13, 2003
Once again, a fight is brewing over what will appear in the science texts of Texas public schools. Will those texts, and thus also the classroom instruction, emphasize the place ... Read More
Rick Santorum: No Regrets
Sunday July 13, 2003
Rick Santorum, United States Senator from Pennsylvania, is unapologetic about his remarks about gay couples and sodomy, even though the Supreme Court ruled that laws criminalizing sodomy, and especially those ... Read More
Complimentary and Alternative Medicines
Sunday July 13, 2003
Questioning Healthcare: There's an awful lot in the news and in society about "alternative medicines" these days. By some estimates, it's an industry doing between $15 and $20 billion annually ... Read More
Traditionalist Catholicism Growing
Sunday July 13, 2003
The Second Vatican Council instituted a number of important and modern reforms into the Roman Catholic Church - but not all Catholics were happy with those changes. Even today, there ... Read More
Copyrighting Mother Teresa
Sunday July 13, 2003
Mother Teresa is one of the most famous Catholic figures in the world; now, nuns of the order she founded are looking to copyright her name in order to ensure ... Read More
Crop Circles vs. Property Rights
Sunday July 13, 2003
Crop Circles are very popular among believers in the paranormal. Are they created by aliens? By beings from another dimension? No, they are fakes created by humans - but too ... Read More
This Date in History
Sunday July 13, 2003
July 13, 1857: President James Buchanon selected Alfred Cumming to replace Brigham Young as governor for the territory of Utah.
More:
About Mormonism
Secularism in Nepal
Sunday July 13, 2003
Usually the idea of secularism and the creation of a secular state is opposed by Christians, Jews or Muslims. They, however, are not the only religions that may oppose secularism ... Read More
Growth in Spiritualism
Sunday July 13, 2003
The belief system identified as spiritualism first developed in America during the 19th century. Today, it is making a real comeback - thanks largely to alleged mediums like Jonathan Edwards ... Read More
Christianity's Fixation on Sex
Sunday July 13, 2003
Is Christianity too fixated on sex, sex acts, and human sexuality? Sometimes it certainly seems that way - and Martin Hogg, a member of the Scottish Episcopal Church and a ... Read More
Should the Supreme Court Cite Foreign Laws?
Sunday July 13, 2003
There has been some complaint from conservatives that the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a Texas law criminalizing sodomy was flawed because it cited law from outside America. Supposedly, ... Read More
Row Over Gay Bishop Turns Ugly
Sunday July 13, 2003
The Church of England is going through some very difficult times over the failed appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Bishop of Reading. A General Synod of the Church ... Read More
Life in Prison for Blasphemy
Saturday July 12, 2003
What should the legal penalty be for someone who says something negative about religion? In Pakistan, it could be life in prison.
That was the sentence handed down to Munawar Mohsin, ... Read More
Utah Ten Commandments Monuments to Move
Saturday July 12, 2003
Scattered across Utah are nine monuments displaying the Ten Commandments donated to various local governments by the Fraternal Order of Eagles through the 1960s and 70s. Attorney Brian Barnard is ... Read More
Pakistan Extremists Target Literature
Saturday July 12, 2003
Islamic extremism in Pakistan, growing in power and influence, has found a new target: Western literature. Evidently, a variety of poems, novels, and other texts used by the English department ... Read More
True Christians and True Atheists
Saturday July 12, 2003
No True Scotsman: The 'no true scotsman' fallacy occurs when a person claims that a 'true Christian' or a 'true atheist' would never do or believe something undesirable. It sounds ... Read More
Tax Exemptions for Religious Theme Park?
Saturday July 12, 2003
Should a theme park based around religious themes receive tax exemptions? The owners of The Holy Land Experience in Orange County, Florida, want to be exempt from paying property taxes ... Read More
Grand Old Gay-Bashers?
Saturday July 12, 2003
Is the Republican Party being run by anti-gay bigots? Some feel that way, considering just how many prominent Republicans have attacked gays, supported laws criminalizing sodomy among gays, and advocated ... Read More
User's Guide to Chastity
Saturday July 12, 2003
Chastity is a virtue often advocated by religious leaders - but just what does chastity involve? How does a person work to preserve chastity? Father Antonio Rungia, an Italian Catholic ... Read More
This Date in History
Saturday July 12, 2003
July 12, 1536: Desiderius Erasmus died.
More:
Biographies of Famous Philosophers
Operation Supreme Court Freedom
Saturday July 12, 2003
Conservatives, and especially religious conservatives, have been incensed over the Supreme Court decision that struck down sodomy laws. As far as they are concerned, it is proper for the government ... Read More
Hindu Creationism vs. Darwin
Saturday July 12, 2003
Creationist opposition to Darwin and evolution are typically seen as being feature of fundamentalist Christianity - but that isn't always the case. One person who breaks this creationist stereotype is ... Read More
Gay Gardeners Resign
Saturday July 12, 2003
In response to Dr. Jeffrey John's withdrawal from being nominated as Archbishop of Reading, an openly gay couple who tend the grass at All Saints Parish Church in Lawshall have ... Read More
Questioning Capital Punishment
Saturday July 12, 2003
Recently Received: America's Death Penalty: Beyond Repair?, edited by Stephen P. Garvey.
The use of the death penalty is still relatively popular in the United States - but not as popular ... Read More
Is Atheism a Matter of Faith?
Friday July 11, 2003
Atheists Can't Prove God Doesn't Exist: Too often theists will try to place atheism and theism on the same plane by arguing a particular equivalency: theists cannot prove that god ... Read More
Controls over the Funding of Mosques
Friday July 11, 2003
In Belgium, religions can become "officially recognized," one of the consequences of which is that they are eligible to receive state subsidies. This is a product of the closer relationship ... Read More
Alleged Witches Beheaded
Friday July 11, 2003
In the Philippines, a group of people in the town of Cauayan beheaded an elderly couple who was believed to be practicing witchcraft. One of those who has been arrested ... Read More
Costs of the Ten Commandments
Friday July 11, 2003
Whenever a monument, plaque, or some other posting of the Ten Commandments is challenged as a violation of the separation of church and state, governments usually defend them in court. ... Read More
This Date in History
Friday July 11, 2003
July 11, 1533: Pope Clement VII excommunicated England's King Henry VIII, a key step in the English Reformation.
More:
Reformation
Augsburg Confession
No Safe Time for Sex?
Friday July 11, 2003
Traditional medical wisdom has it that women ovulate once each month - but what if that wisdom were incorrect? A recent study done by Canadian researchers indicates that it very ... Read More
Profile of Herb Silverman
Friday July 11, 2003
Many atheists and freethinkers have heard of Herb Silverman. In 1990 he challenged South Carolina's constitutional requirement that all public office holders affirm the existence of a Supreme Being by ... Read More
Methodists Debate Sodomy Ruling
Friday July 11, 2003
Not all religious groups agree with the recent Supreme Court ruling that overturned laws criminalizing sodomy. Others, like the United Methodist Church, find themselves embroiled in internal debates over the ... Read More
Prison or Bible Camp?
Thursday July 10, 2003
Burl Cain, warden of Angola prison at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), is a religious man who uses his position of power and authority to push his own religious views ... Read More
Religious Pluralism in Europe
Thursday July 10, 2003
Some European nations are having difficulty coping with the growing religious and cultural pluralism within their borders. For a long time they have had the luxury of basing national unity ... Read More
Baptist Rift over Lesbian Pastor
Thursday July 10, 2003
Should a lesbian be allowed to serve as pastor at a Baptist church? The Glendale Baptist Church in Tennessee doesn't have a problem with it. When April Baker was chosen ... Read More
Radical Islam vs. the West
Thursday July 10, 2003
Many people believe that there is a war between the West and the forces of radial, fundamentalist, extremist Islam. Sometimes the war is "hot" with actual fighting and casualties. Often, ... Read More
Urban Legends About Atheism
Thursday July 10, 2003
No Atheists in Foxholes? This saying has been around for quite a long time and gets used with some regularity, but it became even more popular after the terrorist attacks ... Read More
Atheists Have Values, Too
Thursday July 10, 2003
Are atheists people, or are they immoral Satan-worshippers? The latter view tends to prevail among many Christians while atheists themselves try to get others to understand that atheists are much ... Read More
Who Is A Jew?
Thursday July 10, 2003
The question about who is and is not a Jew is not just a religious matter; because being a Jew is the basis for Israeli citizenship, it is also a ... Read More
This Date in History
Thursday July 10, 2003
July 10, 2002: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (better known by its original name, the "Inquisition") warned Romulo Antonio Braschi, founder of a Catholic schismatic movement, and ... Read More
Lutheran Church Divided over Lesbian Baptism
Thursday July 10, 2003
Should churches permit the baptism of the child of a lesbian couple and, if so, should the couple be referred to as the child's parents? That's a question facing the ... Read More
Separation of Church and State in the Philippines
Thursday July 10, 2003
Many people may not realize that the separation of church and state can, in theory at least, be much more strict in the Philippines than in the United States. The ... Read More
Baptist Church to Open Subway Franchise
Thursday July 10, 2003
God and Mammon aren't normally quite so united as this: the True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, New York, will soon open a Subway franchise on its property. According to ... Read More
Gay Witch Hunts Approved?
Thursday July 10, 2003
Although at times the Church of England has appeared to be supportive of gays, for many that seems to be changing. Recently, the openly gay Canon Jeffrey John was forced ... Read More
Linking Faith and Violence
Wednesday July 9, 2003
According to Jon Krakauer, "religious faith of any kind can warp into an extremism willing to use violence to achieve its aims." That's the basic theme of his forthcoming book ... Read More
Elderly Woman Murdered for Being a Witch
Wednesday July 9, 2003
In the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand a 65-year-old woman was burned to death because her neighbors thought she was a witch. This comes just a couple of days after ... Read More
Canadian Museum of Creationism
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Christian Apologetics Research and Evangelism (CARE) Ministries is considering the possibility of opening up a museum in Winnipeg, Canada, that would be dedicated explaining the course of human history - ... Read More
Supreme Court & Minority Rights
Wednesday July 9, 2003
While clerking for Justice Robert Jackson in 1952, current Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote a memo arguing that the Court should not strike down Jim Crow laws, that ... Read More
Orthodox Jews Seeking Divorce Solutions
Wednesday July 9, 2003
For Orthodox Jews, divorce is a difficult issue. Under Jewish law the husband has unilateral power to end a marriage; if he doesn't want a divorce, he can prevent his ... Read More
Atheism and Religion
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Is Atheism a Religion? For some strange reason, many people keep getting the idea that atheism is itself some sort of religion. It's an assertion which I keep hearing in ... Read More
Paige Patterson: Theological Pervert?
Wednesday July 9, 2003
The Rev. Paige Patterson, national president of the Southern Baptist Convention and perhaps best known as the chief architect of that organization's sharp swing to the religious right over the ... Read More
Veiled Tensions in France
Wednesday July 9, 2003
France is facing a religious and social crisis: should Muslims, like members of other religious faith, be expected to put their religion second when it comes to their commitment to ... Read More
Tax Exemptions for Religious Theme Park?
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Should a theme park based around religious themes receive tax exemptions? The owners of The Holy Land Experience in Orange County, Florida, want to be exempt from paying property taxes ... Read More
Messianic Jews Defending Israel
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Like evangelical Christians, Messianic Jews in America are staunch supporters of Israel - but not just Israel generally. No, they insist that all of the land in and around Israel ... Read More
This Date in History
Wednesday July 9, 2003
July 9, 1974: Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren died.
More:
Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy
Fighting for the Right to Sing
Wednesday July 9, 2003
American forces may have "liberated" Afghanistan from the Taliban, but that doesn't mean that the people have been liberated from extreme Islamic fundamentalism - and women, in particular, are hardest ... Read More
Catholic Privilege Questioned in Ireland
Wednesday July 9, 2003
The Roman Catholic Church has long been a very powerful and important institution in Irish society. As a consequence, over the centuries it has amassed quite a few important privileges ... Read More
Church Zoning Dispute in Hawaii
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Should local governments be allowed to set zoning regulations that might prevent churches from being established in some locations? Most local governments think so, but the federal government wants to ... Read More
Conflict over Gay Buddhist Monks
Wednesday July 9, 2003
Can homosexuals be Buddhist monks? The conflict of gay clergy doesn't only affect Christianity and Judaism - it's also an issue in Buddhism. Currently, there is a huge debate over ... Read More
Questioning Jesus
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Messiah Before Jesus? Evidence for at least one ""Messiah" before Jesus can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and could have serious consequences for our understanding of how and ... Read More
Is Your Church a Cult?
Tuesday July 8, 2003
From the Forum: Is the Pentecostal Church a cult? I think so... I've since been to Baptist (fundie) church, Methodist, Undenominational, United Brethren and they all have the same tactics ... Read More
Left Behind Books: Anti-Catholic?
Tuesday July 8, 2003
The "Left Behind" series of apocalyptic books, authored by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, have become wildly popular in America - but not all Christians are happy with them. Recently, ... Read More
Battling for Converts in Chiapas
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Chiapas is Mexico's southernmost state, bordering Mexico. It has suffered through a great deal of political turmoil - but unbeknownst to many, it has also had to deal with a ... Read More
This Date in History
Tuesday July 8, 2003
July 8, 1741: Jonathan Edwards preached his classic sermon, 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' a key step in the beginning of New England's Great Awakening.
More:
Books on ... Read More
Wicca Discrimination Suit Settled
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Do prejudice and discrimination against Wiccans exist in America? Absolutely - although those who engage in it are among the last to be willing to admit it. The most recent ... Read More
Preacher Accused of Soliciting Sex
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Rev. C. Stephen White has been a fixture on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. He is well known for his unique method of trying to reach students: he ... Read More
Dude, Where's My Bible?
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Is it a Bible, or a Teen Magazine? That's what some people are wondering about the forthcoming Revolve, a publication that juxtaposes the text of the New Testament with magazine-style ... Read More
Optional Celibacy for Catholic Priests
Tuesday July 8, 2003
Sex scandals involving Catholic priests are not limited to the United States. Elsewhere they have become such a problem that radical solutions are being suggested. One solution which might normally ... Read More
Questioning Islamic Theocracy
Monday July 7, 2003
Mosque & State: The relationship between mosque and state in Islamic tradition is very complex. It isn't enough to say that they are completely intertwined, but they aren't really separate ... Read More
No Rest for the Wicca
Monday July 7, 2003
Wicca and Paganism are growing more and more popular in Australia - and this has many Australian Christians worried. In fact, nature religions like Wicca are among the fastest growing ... Read More
Father of John the Baptist?
Monday July 7, 2003
A recently discovered inscription found by a 60-foot-high funerary monument at the foot of the Mount of Olives reads: "This is the tomb of Zachariah, martyr, very pious priest, father ... Read More
Islam vs. Secularism in Iraq: Iraqi Women Speak
Monday July 7, 2003
Should the new Iraqi government be more secular or more religious? Western forces are seeking to create a secular, democratic government in Iraq - and certainly many Iraqis agree that ... Read More
This Date in History
Monday July 7, 2003
July 7, 1925: William Jennings Bryan arrived in Dayton, Tennessee, a day before the Scopes Monkey Trial was to start.
More:
What is Evolution?
What is Science?
Barry White: Religious Skeptic?
Monday July 7, 2003
Famous soul singer Barry White died on July 4, 2003, at the age of 58 after a long battle with kidney disease. Many people knew him for his incomparable voice ... Read More
Coming Soon: Womb Transplant Babies
Monday July 7, 2003
Some scientists believe that it won't be more than about three years before they will be able to have healthy babies born from wombs that have been transplanted from one ... Read More
Christian Crusaders to Lose
Monday July 7, 2003
Imam Samudra has been charged with being the mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. He was in court the other day for a ... Read More
Is War Moral?
Sunday July 6, 2003
War and Morality: More than anything else, war allows people to kill each other in massive numbers and cause incredible suffering. How do we evaluate the morality of wars? Is ... Read More
Preacher Asks God for a Sign. Lightning Strikes
Sunday July 6, 2003
It's not uncommon for preachers and religious believers of all types to ask God for a sign: tell us what to do, tell us where to go, tell us what ... Read More
Witches Burned to Death
Sunday July 6, 2003
In northeastern India, were tribal superstition and demonology are still strong, two women were dragged from their huts, taken to field, and burned alive after kerosene has been poured on ... Read More
President Bush & Gay Americans
Sunday July 6, 2003
Quite a few gay conservatives have lauded Bush as one of the most gay-supportive Republican leaders ever, and they may be right. But being more supportive of gays than other ... Read More
Gay Anglican Refuses to Become Bishop
Sunday July 6, 2003
When Canon Jeffrey John was appointed as Bishop of Reading, it sparked a furious outcry from conservative Anglicans because John would become the first openly gay Anglican bishop. It didn't ... Read More
When is Bigotry not Bigotry?
Sunday July 6, 2003
The answer, according to the Guardian, is when bigotry "is motivated by sincere religious convictions." In an article about Jeffrey John, an openly gay man nominated to be a bishop ... Read More
This Date in History
Sunday July 6, 2003
July 6, 1753: Huguenot rebels and French Catholics sign Peace of La Rochelle, marking a pause in the French Wars of Religion.
More:
Reformation
Man Sues Church for Banning Him
Sunday July 6, 2003
In a very unusual case, a man in Stuart, Florida is suing the First United Methodist Church for banning him. He wants $15,000 in damages, including $9,622 he claims he ... Read More
Jewish Nazis Raising Heil
Sunday July 6, 2003
Jewish Nazis? Such a person can't exist, right? Well, evidently they do exist - and in Israel, no less. According to the New York Daily News, Israel now has to ... Read More
Scamming the Vulnerable
Saturday July 5, 2003
What is Cold Reading? It sometimes seems amazing how astrologers, psychics, mediums, and fortune tellers of all types are able to tell people things about their lives and problems that ... Read More
Church of Scotland: Gay Priests Welcome
Saturday July 5, 2003
According to the Rt. Rev. Prof. Iain Torrance, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, there would be nothing wrong with openly gay priests being ordained in the Kirk. That isn't ... Read More
Human She-Males Created in Lab
Saturday July 5, 2003
Interested in meeting a real She-Male - someone who is part female and part male on a genetic level? Experiments by scientists (Dr. Norbert Gleicher of the Foundation for Reproductive ... Read More
Roseville Sticks with Evolution
Saturday July 5, 2003
According to the Sacramento Bee, the Roseville Joint Union High School District has approved a new textbook that discusses evolution, but does not include any creationist arguments against evolution. A ... Read More
Tourists Return to the Temple Mount
Saturday July 5, 2003
The land where the Temple Mount is located in Jerusalem is holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. As a consequence, it is one of the most hotly disputed pieces of ... Read More
This Date in History
Saturday July 5, 2003
July 5, 1983: The Supreme Court decided in the case of Marsh v. Chambers that the practice of beginning the legislative sessions in Nebraska with a prayer given by the ... Read More
American Catholics Lacking Leaders
Saturday July 5, 2003
The Vatican has had to appoint a replacement for Bishop Law of Boston - but they had to go to Palm Beach to find someone. Bishop Sean O'Malley had, in ... Read More
Wiccans not welcome in Illinois
Saturday July 5, 2003
Like any religious group, Wiccans would like to have places where they can work on and learn about their beliefs. Thus, they try to set up centers which can serve ... Read More
Tenafly Eruv to Remain
Saturday July 5, 2003
Should Jewish groups be allowed to use public property and spaces, such as telephone poles, to construct an eruv? A little noticed Supreme Court decision let stand a lower court ... Read More
Islam and Democracy
Saturday July 5, 2003
Is Islam compatible with democracy? Can Islam survive in a democratic state? Many think not and the evidence of the history of Muslim nations certainly seems to support that position. ... Read More
Arguments Against the Person
Friday July 4, 2003
Ad Hominem Arguments: This fallacy is not only common, but also commonly misunderstood. There are five different types of ad hominem arguments, whereby someone attempts to distract from the main ... Read More
Amended Evolution Policy in Cobb County
Friday July 4, 2003
The Cobb County Board of Education has had trouble with its policy on teaching evolution. On August 22, 2002, the ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging their use ... Read More
Jesus on the Chimney
Friday July 4, 2003
Not long ago, people started seeing an image of the Virgin Mary on a window at the Milton Hospital near Boston. Now people are starting to se images of Jesus ... Read More
This Date in History
Friday July 4, 2003
July 4, 1187: Christian Crusaders were defeated by Saladin at the Battle of Hattin, making it possible for Muslim forces to reconquer Jerusalem.
More:
Islam
Islamic extremists
Disputed Mosque Demolished
Friday July 4, 2003
Christians revere the city of Nazareth as one where they believe that Jesus grew up - but that hasn't kept it from becoming a place where religious tensions run high. ... Read More
Using Government to Foster Religion
Thursday July 3, 2003
Ten Commandments: Should displays of the Ten Commandments be allowed in public buildings? Should large monuments be erected on the grounds of courthouses or legislative buildings? Should there be posters ... Read More
Barrow County to Defend Ten Commandments
Thursday July 3, 2003
People in Barrow County, Georgia, believe that the Ten Commandments form an important basis of American law - so important, in fact, that they are willing to go to court ... Read More
International Copyright Restrictions
Thursday July 3, 2003
J.K. Rowling and her publisher are working hard using international copyright and trade laws to restrict the publication of books in other countries that use the themes or sometimes even ... Read More
St. Paul and Epilepsy
Thursday July 3, 2003
A BBC documentary profiling the life and work of Saint Paul included the suggestion that Paul's conversion experience on the road to Damascus could conceivably have been the result ... Read More
This Date in History
Thursday July 3, 2003
On This Date in History
July 3, 1904: Theodor Herzl, founder of the Zionist movement, died in Edlach, Austria.
More:
Zionism
Antisemitism
Exorcist Calls for Crusade
Thursday July 3, 2003
Are the occult and paganism threatening the foundations of Western society? Well, that seems to be what Father Jim McManus thinks. One of the few Catholic clergymen to regularly perform ... Read More
Florida Says 'No' to Circumcisions
Thursday July 3, 2003
There is a real but often unrecognized debate over the practice of performing circumcisions on male infants. Some think that it has medical value, many feel that it is an ... Read More
American Catholicism Facing Changes
Thursday July 3, 2003
This is a difficult time for Catholics in America - the scandals over the sexual abuse of children by priests and the ensuing attempts to cover up those crimes by ... Read More
Affirmative Action Causes Prejudice?
Thursday July 3, 2003
In a letter posted on The Volokh Conspiracy, Stanford Law School professor Marcus Cole argues that Affirmative Action harms him because his students see him and believe that he only ... Read More
What is Taoism?
Thursday July 3, 2003
Recently received from Oxford University Press: Taoism, by Jennifer Oldstone-Moore.
Taoism is a system of Chinese religious, spiritual, and philosophical beliefs which has existed for centuries - but many in the ... Read More
Putting Science on Trial
Wednesday July 2, 2003
Evolution & Law: Evolution is the only area of science that is also a legal issue on which courts have to render decisions. There are no lawsuits over gravity, physics, ... Read More
Holy Ghost Working With Mel Gibson
Wednesday July 2, 2003
According to Mel Gibson, his entire career has been leading him to the creation of Passion, a film about the life and death of Jesus Christ done entirely in Latin ... Read More
Gays in the Military: Possible Future?
Wednesday July 2, 2003
According to Phil Carter, there may now be a legal basis for gays to challenge the military's policy of "don't ask, don't tell" and exclusions of gays. He basis his ... Read More
Unitarian Universalists and God
Wednesday July 2, 2003
For a long time the Unitarian Universalist Association has had more in common with humanism - even secular humanism - than it has with traditional Christianity and traditional theistic religious ... Read More
This Date in History
Wednesday July 2, 2003
July 2, 1778: French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau died.
Elsewhere on the Site:
Biographies of Famous Philosophers
Evangelical Christians Support Israel, Not Peace
Wednesday July 2, 2003
About a quarter of all voters in America describe themselves as evangelical Christians - and their leaders are becoming increasingly vocal in their opposition to the "road map" to peace ... Read More
Moore's Ten Commandments Monument Must Go!
Tuesday July 1, 2003
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with separationists when it ruled that the 2 1/2-ton granite Ten Commandments monument erected by Judge Roy Moore is unconstitutional. Moore may be ... Read More
Will Your Thoughts Remain Private?
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Brain Privacy: Our privacy seems to be under siege on all fronts: the government, corporations, our employers, and of course even our neighbors seek to obtain more and more information ... Read More
Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage?
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Now that the Supreme Court has invalidated legal bans on gay sex, the next big fight seems to be over the status of same-sex marriages. Should couples of the same ... Read More
Ten Commandments Plaque Challenged in Georgia
Tuesday July 1, 2003
At some point an identified citizen put up a display of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse in Barrow County, Georgia. County Commissioners, who didn't have to take responsibility for ... Read More
Homosexuality: No Social Value?
Tuesday July 1, 2003
According to a document released by the Vatican, homosexuality is a condition "without any social value." and that countries where same-sex marriages are legal are populated by people with "profoundly ... Read More
Madalyn Murray O'Hair's Last Days
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Using a Freedom of Information Act request, the San Antonio Express-News has obtained a 321-page transcript of interviews the FBI had with David Waters more than two years ago. Waters ... Read More
This Date in History
Tuesday July 1, 2003
July 1, 1858: Charles Darwin read Alfred Russel Wallace's paper on evolution to the Linnaean Society along with portions of Darwin's own long-withheld manuscript of The Origin of Species by ... Read More
Weighing the Future of Europe
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Europe today is getting older - a lot older, by most calculations. By 2050 the average age in Europe is expected to be 52.3 - that's compared to the current ... Read More
Ambush TV: Taking Reality Too Far
Tuesday July 1, 2003
ABC News has an interesting story about how various reality television shows are going further and further than ever before in their attempts to inflict suffering and humiliation on unsuspecting ... Read More
Scalia Makes Argument for Gay Marriage
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Could it be that Antonin Scalia has provided supporters of gay marriage ammunition for their legal and social arguments? That certainly appears to be the case. Eugene Volokh explains in ... Read More
It's the Fundamentalism, Stupid
Tuesday July 1, 2003
Massimo Pigliucci writes in a recent column that the real threat to world peace lies not with terrorists, but with the pernicious attitudes underlying fundamentalism (principally religious fundamentalism because political ... Read More
The Intolerance of Fanaticism
Tuesday July 1, 2003
In a recent column, Arianna Huffington inveighs against the fanaticism of leaders who are intolerant of dissent, who believe that their cause is blessed or ordered by God, and who ... Read More