Pinker: No Scientific Evidence for God
Friday April 30, 2004
There are a lot of people who would like to claim that there is scientific evidence for the existence of their god - but is there any merit to such ... Read More
Drug Companies Withholding Poor Results
Friday April 30, 2004
Consumers tend to trust that when there are positive results from clinical trials, then that shows that a particular drug is worth using. But what about negative results from clinical ... Read More
Ruling on Prayers at Basketball Games
Friday April 30, 2004
During sporting events sponsored by the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA), it is no longer permitted for official prayers to be used to start things off - even if the ... Read More
Australian Prime Minister to Ban Gay Marriages?
Friday April 30, 2004
Australian Prime Minister John Howard doesn't seem to approve of gay couples or gay marriages. Apparently, he intends to introduce measures that will prohibit gay marriages performed outside the country ... Read More
Sharia in Nigeria
Friday April 30, 2004
In northern Nigerian, the state of Zamfara has implemented a new set of wide-ranging Islamic laws. They originally introduced Sharia in 2000 and this represents even more religious rules that ... Read More
Religious Origins of Secularism
Friday April 30, 2004
Because the concept of the secular is normally conceived as standing in opposition to religion many people may not realize that it originally developed within a religious context. This may ... Read More
Abortion in Nepal
Friday April 30, 2004
Abortion is legal in Nepal, but difficult to obtain - it is estimated that Nepalese women get around 57,000 unsafe abortions every year. The first government hospital offering free abortions ... Read More
Buddha Bikini Upsets Believers
Friday April 30, 2004
In the past I've seen complaints about corporations engaging in blasphemy from Christians, Muslims, and Hindus - but for the first time, I've now seen it from Buddhists as well. ... Read More
This Date in History: Under God
Friday April 30, 2004
April 30, 2003: The Bush administration appealed to the Supreme Court to preserve the phrase "under God" in the The Pledge of Allegiance recited by school children. Solicitor General Theodore ... Read More
Residents Support Religious Symbol in City Logo
Friday April 30, 2004
The logo of Redlands, California, contains a Christian cross and the city government has agreed with a request from the ACLU to remove it. Some residents are, however, quite angry ... Read More
Archbishop Fires Abuse VIctim Advocate
Friday April 30, 2004
For many years, the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle has been one of the most vocal supporters of those who have been victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Roman ... Read More
Christians Proselytizing with Humanitarian Aid in Somalia
Friday April 30, 2004
It's not uncommon for Christian organizations offering humanitarian aid to also offer a bit of Christian proselytization on the side. The smart groups keep their evangelization low-key and emphasize things ... Read More
Despotism in Iran
Thursday April 29, 2004
Iran's President Mohammad Khatami owes his position to reform-minded young people who would like to see changes in how Iran is run. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to achieve ... Read More
Christian Right Killing GOP Moderates
Thursday April 29, 2004
Where are the moderates of the Republican Party? Where are the Republicans who are generally conservative, but who aren't also extremist - people who reach out to the center instead ... Read More
Nazis Learned Eugenics from America
Thursday April 29, 2004
Many in America argue that there is no "right to privacy" protected by the Constitution. The point, generally speaking, is to also argue that there is no right to have ... Read More
Controlling Islam in Saudi Arabia
Thursday April 29, 2004
Wahhabi Islam is extremist, and that's putting it mildly. The power and authority of the Saudi royal family has always been connected to the social power and influence of Wahhabi ... Read More
Priest Was "Godless," Satanic Killer?
Thursday April 29, 2004
One of the ways in which common prejudice against atheists comes out into the open is the way in which everyone who does anything depraved and nasty gets described as ... Read More
Defining Secularism
Thursday April 29, 2004
Despite its importance, there isn't always a great deal of agreement on just what secularism really is. Part of the problem lies in the fact that the concept of ... Read More
Fundamentalists Seeking World War?
Thursday April 29, 2004
There are a number of Christians in America who believe not only that the Christ's Second Coming will be connected to violent events in the Middle East, but also that ... Read More
Apology, Townhall Style
Thursday April 29, 2004
When Captain James Yee, Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, was arrested on charges of espionage, conservatives around the country lept to the attack. Some even suggested that no Muslims should ... Read More
This Date in History: Catholicism & French Secularism
Thursday April 29, 2004
April 29, 1814: In an Apostolic Letter, Pope Pius VIII complained about the French constitution, saying that "it not only permits freedom of conscience and of cult, but promises support ... Read More
Democrat Omits 'Under God' From House Pledge
Thursday April 29, 2004
In a move that caused any number of conservative Republicans to faint dead away from shock and outrage, House Democrat Jim McDermott from Washington failed to include the phrase "under ... Read More
City Votes to Allow Muslims' Calls to Prayer
Thursday April 29, 2004
I reported a few days ago about how Hamtramck, Michigan was going to consider allowing mosques to begin broadcasting calls to prayer in Arabic. Local Christians came out in ... Read More
Wronging Someone Without Doing Wrong
Thursday April 29, 2004
Typically, if we have "wronged" someone, the assumption is that we have done something wrong - that is to say, we have acted in some way that we shouldn't have ... Read More
Extraordinary Events not so Extraordinary?
Thursday April 29, 2004
Book of the Day: What are the Odds? Chances of Extraordinary Events in Everyday Life
We can see the use of statistics in a wide variety of aspects of our lives. ... Read More
Victims' Rights Amendment Back Again
Wednesday April 28, 2004
One of the attempt to amend the Constitution that comes back every so often is the so-called "Victims' Rights Amendment ," a provision that would (among other things) ensure the ... Read More
Diebold Disenfranchising Voters
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Do you care about whether your votes count? You should - but if your state or community is starting to move to electronic voting machines, you should care even more ... Read More
Einstein Responsible for School Shootings?
Wednesday April 28, 2004
It's common for the Christian Right to try and blame Charles Darwin and evolution for all of the problems that afflict society, but it's rather uncommon for them to try ... Read More
Italian Schools Pulling Evolution?
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Following the lead of America, it appears that Italy will be pulling evolution out of public secondary schools. I'm not really sure why this is happening - the Catholic Church ... Read More
Does Atheism Require Faith?
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Every once in a while you hear the old canard about atheism requiring "more faith" than just about any sort of theism - not merely general theism, but even specific ... Read More
Male and Female... or not?
Wednesday April 28, 2004
And God created them, male and female: those who argue against gay marriage argue that God intended mating between men and women - but what is a 'man' and what ... Read More
Christian Right Spreading Ignorance
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Sometimes I think that if adherents of the Christian Right didn't have anything incorrect, irrational, or just plain ignorant to say about things like the separation or church and state ... Read More
Discussion: Is Iraq a Libertarian Paradise?
Wednesday April 28, 2004
A forum member writes: Everyone in Iraq (apart from, it seems, the police) has a gun, so therefore by Official Gun Lobby Logic there should be no crime. There's not ... Read More
Prayer Breakfast Disinvites Muslim, Mayors Skip It
Wednesday April 28, 2004
A prayer breakfast in Beaverton, Oregon, has revealed just what is wrong with having prayer breakfasts for politicians in the first place - unfortunately, no one seems to be seeing ... Read More
This Date in History: Saddam Hussein
Wednesday April 28, 2004
April 28, 1937: Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq, was born.
Suicide Bomber Detonates Muggers
Wednesday April 28, 2004
In what has to be the most ironic event in recent weeks, two muggers who though it would be a good idea to rob a suicide bomber got a lot ... Read More
Gay Republicans & George W. Bush
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Although gays certainly don't constitute a very large or dominant force within the Republican Party, there are quite a few of them and their ideas have been growing in influence. ... Read More
Atheists: Most Dangerous Americans
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Madalyn Murray O'Hair described herself as the "most dangerous woman in America." It appears that such a perception of atheist has endured, even after her death: a University of Wisconsin ... Read More
Ethics and Biotechnology
Wednesday April 28, 2004
Book of the Day: Who Owns Life?
Modern biotechnology is creating ethical questions faster than most people can properly consider and learn to understand them, much less develop coherent and ... Read More
Does The Washington Times Lie?
Tuesday April 27, 2004
The Washington Times is owned by Rev. Moon's Unification Church and commonly shills for the Far Right - but just how far will they go to prop up conservatives and ... Read More
No True Evangelical
Tuesday April 27, 2004
What is a "real" evangelical Christian? The term "evangelical" is a bit vague and loose - it can apply to a broad range of Christians who don't all share exactly ... Read More
Killing Children for Islam?
Tuesday April 27, 2004
The use of teens and children - one as young as eleven - for suicide bombings has grown in recent years, and that is raising concern in many quarters. When ... Read More
Expedition to Search for Noah's Ark
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Every once in a while yet another group or person decides to expend great amounts of time and money in a search for Noah's Ark. The latest in this parade ... Read More
Altering Polygraphs at the LAPD?
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Polygraphs ("Lie Detectors") are unreliable - they aren't a scientific measuring device in any sense of the word. That doesn't stop the government from using them, however - and if ... Read More
Christian Violence & Abortion
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Government officials in both Canada and the United States have issued warnings to abortion doctors to take extra precautions. Anti-abortion extremists in Britain have warned the public that there "will ... Read More
Catholics Question Abortion Focus
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Some Roman Catholic bishops want to deny communion to politicians who support abortion rights - a position which might seem reasonable given the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion. The reasonableness ... Read More
Discussion: Who Will Win the Presidential Election?
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Chris writes: I heard part of Bush's speech and in the Q&A session he actually said he would have invaded Iraq even if he knew they did not have any ... Read More
School Disciplines Student for Anti-Bush Drawing
Tuesday April 27, 2004
We all have a right to protest the government, right? We all have a right to ridicule our political leaders and portray them in an unflattering light, right? Perhaps - ... Read More
This Date in History: Capuccino
Tuesday April 27, 2004
April 27, 2003: Pope John Paul II beatified Marco d'Aviano, a 17th-century friar who is credited with having united Christian forces against invading Ottoman Turks outside Vienna in 1683. After ... Read More
Evangelicals Threaten to "Ruin" Church of England
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Almost one year ago, Canon Jeffrey John was appointed to be Bishop of Reading. Because he is an openly gay man, this created quite a furor and he decided to ... Read More
Supreme Court Lets VMI Prayer Ruling Stand
Tuesday April 27, 2004
I've reported here in the past about the attempts to halt official prayers at the state military school Virginia Military Institute. Courts have consistently held that the mealtime prayers violated ... Read More
When is Censorship Justified?
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Balancing between free speech and censorship is difficult. Obviously it is wrong to clamp down too much on speech, but certainly there are some thing which can't be allowed. Where, ... Read More
Abortion in America
Tuesday April 27, 2004
Book of the Day: Why I Am An Abortion Doctor
Why would anyone want to perform abortions in America today? Protesters march not only outside of clinics, but even outside of ... Read More
Hypocrisy at World Net Daily
Monday April 26, 2004
One of the ways in which conservative religious groups defended Mel Gibson's "The Passion" was to attack those who criticized it - in particular, they attacked the audacity of people ... Read More
Acceptance vs. Orthodoxy
Monday April 26, 2004
Christians have long been caught between two principles which often conflict: loving acceptance of everyone, even those who have done wrong, and stern condemnation of sinful acts. Which of the ... Read More
Lutheran Abuse Case: USD $37 Million Awarded
Monday April 26, 2004
The Roman Catholic Church isn't the only religious organization in America that has been dealing with allegations of the sexual abus of children. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has ... Read More
Bombers Will "Burn in Hell"
Monday April 26, 2004
A number of Muslim clerics are tired of the terrorism committed by Muslim extremists - especially when that terrorism occurs in Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia. The recent bombing in ... Read More
Inmate Wins Writing Award, Has Files Erased
Monday April 26, 2004
Prison inmates have it tough - but that's only to be expected because it is prison and they are being punished, after all. A good prison system looks to the ... Read More
Anecdotal Evidence & Testimonials
Monday April 26, 2004
People often use their personal experiences when trying to make decisions - that's only natural. It can, however, go too far because anecdotal experiences are susceptible to many problems and ... Read More
Funny Muslims
Monday April 26, 2004
Muslims aren't exactly well know for their contributions to modern humor. There are plenty of Jewish comics, for example, but how many Muslims comics are there? More than we probably ... Read More
Discussion: Is President Bush "Morally Stunted"?
Monday April 26, 2004
A forum member writes: Ethicist Peter Singer says that George W. Bush has the moral development of a 13 year old boy, seeing the world "very simply, in black and ... Read More
Massachusetts Officials Warned About Same-Sex Marriages
Monday April 26, 2004
Justices of the Peace in Massachusetts have been warned by Governor Mitt Romney's top legal counsel that gay marriages are coming next month - and anyone not willing to perform ... Read More
This Date in History: KKK Cross
Monday April 26, 2004
April 26, 1995: Argued: Capitol Square Review Board v. Pinette The Supreme Court would rule that an unattended cross erected by the KKK on public grounds would not give the ... Read More
Ethical Group Qualifies for Tax Exemption
Monday April 26, 2004
In Texas, it is standard for religious organizations to receive a variety of automatic tax exemptions. In 1996, the Ethical Society of Austin (ESA) applied for such a religious tax ... Read More
Americans Believe Iraq Aided Al-Qaida
Monday April 26, 2004
Americans believe quite a few strange things - but perhaps the most disturbing belief which has remained persistent over recent months is the idea that Iraq played an important role ... Read More
Jesus Downsized
Monday April 26, 2004
In todays job market, fewer people are expected to do more work - and that means that people who don't go the extra distance can't always count on keeping their ... Read More
Powers of Prophecy and Fortunetelling
Monday April 26, 2004
Book of the Day: Dreaming the Future
Since the beginning of human history, people have wanted to learn about the future. Despite this common urge, there has been great diversity in ... Read More
Christian Violence: Jonesboro & Paducah
Sunday April 25, 2004
Commentary on the school violence which occurred in Jonesboro and Paducah. Would more religion in the schools have prevented the violent outbursts, as some religious leaders claim? Read More...
Funny Muslims
Sunday April 25, 2004
Muslims aren't exactly well know for their contributions to modern humor. There are plenty of Jewish comics, for example, but how many Muslims comics are there? More than we probably ... Read More
Turning Down the Brights
Sunday April 25, 2004
The label "Bright," chosen in order to have something more positive for atheists and freethinkers than the label "atheist," has not met with universal acclaim among those the term was ... Read More
This Date in History: Augsburg Confession
Sunday April 25, 2004
April 25, 1530: The Augsburg Confession was read publicly at the Diet of Worms. Written mainly by Philip Melanchthon, it was the first official explanation of the Lutheran faith.
Gay Hotel Discriminates Against Straights
Sunday April 25, 2004
Usually when we hear about couples being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, the situation involves straights discriminating against gays. Now, however, we have a case of a hotel ... Read More
Evildoers Have No Souls
Sunday April 25, 2004
Do religious fanatics have souls or consciences? Not according to President George W. Bush - at least, not so long as the fanatics are Muslims. Unfortunately for Bush, such a ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Hoffer on Dissent and Disagreement
Sunday April 25, 2004
The beginning of thought is in disagreement - not only with others but also with ourselves.
- Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind, (1955).
If everyone always agreed with each ... Read More
Public Truths vs. Private Truths
Saturday April 24, 2004
To what extent is it legitimate to use religion as a basis for political decisions on public policy? Many people believe that such a use of religion ultimately results in ... Read More
Violence in Islam
Saturday April 24, 2004
Apologists for Islam commonly argue that Islam is a religion of peace - and there is certainly plenty within Islam that endorses peace. In practice, though, there are many extremists ... Read More
Philosophy Action Figures
Saturday April 24, 2004
Pow! Zot! Wham! Watch "Dangerous" Descartes and "Killer" Kant make mincemeat of their opponents with these special philosophy action figures. Philosophy isn't just about sitting around in an office and ... Read More
This Date in History: Teaching Evolution
Saturday April 24, 2004
April 24, 1925: John Scopes is believed to have taught his high school biology class about evolution from their text book "A Civil Biology," thus violating the Butler Act and ... Read More
Gays in Black Churches
Saturday April 24, 2004
Gays and lesbians have long had a difficult time in their churches - but the situation for black gays and lesbians has been even worse. It is ironic that the ... Read More
Atheist Logo?
Saturday April 24, 2004
One thing that many atheists bemoan is the lack of unity among all the different atheists out there. Because of this some seek to create unifying organizations, unifying slogans, and ... Read More
Saudi TV Presenter Beaten by Husband
Saturday April 24, 2004
When the civil rights of women are curtailed, violence towards women increases - not just violence in society generally but also in the home. It's not hard to justify violence ... Read More
Religious Violence Between Palestinians and Jews
Saturday April 24, 2004
Book of the Day: Why the Nations Rage: Killing in the Name of God
Religious leaders normally argue that religion is a force for good and love in the world. Yet, ... Read More
Released Japanese Hostages Now Under More Stress
Friday April 23, 2004
Japanese culture is radically different from the cultures of America and Europe. This isn't simply about popular entertainment or language, but about fundamental differences in how society and the world ... Read More
Salt Lake Strip Club Gets Reprieve
Friday April 23, 2004
The Main Street Coffee House pretended to be a church by having worship services on Sundays - this, it was hoped, would force the nearby Crazy Goat Saloon to close ... Read More
Problem of Prison Rape
Friday April 23, 2004
The prison industry itself estimates that there are probably 12,000 rapes of prisoners per year. This number is higher than the number of reported rapes in Los Angeles, Chicago, and ... Read More
Dembski and Quotations
Friday April 23, 2004
One the hallmarks of creationism - and a sign of the dishonesty of creationists - is how they misquote others in creationist writings. Not content to misrepresent science itself, they ... Read More
Fact Checking at The National Review
Friday April 23, 2004
The National Review is a popular publications among conservatives. This is probably unfortunate, given for example their inexplicable flirtations with dubious ideas such as Intelligent Design. That, however, may not ... Read More
Christian Violence & Homosexuality
Friday April 23, 2004
The first thing to look at is the nature of the rhetoric and propaganda which is disseminated by "good Christians" in America when addressing this and similar issues. Senator Trent ... Read More
Virginia Bans Same-Sex Partner Rights
Friday April 23, 2004
Several states have passed laws banning same-sex marriage, but Virginia appears to want to stand out from the pack. Lawmakers there have passed a measure that would ban any sort ... Read More
Letting Doctors Refuse to Treat Gays
Friday April 23, 2004
Catholic healthcare providers get a lot of sympathy for their desire to be allowed to refuse to perform certain procedures like abortions or sterilizations. In Michigan their attempts to get ... Read More
This Date in History: First Easter
Friday April 23, 2004
April 23, 0033: According to Christian tradition, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead on this date, making it the very first Easter. Easter would not fall on April 23rd ... Read More
Waco in Iraq
Friday April 23, 2004
American forces in Iraq are prepared to treat religious leader al-Sadr like they treated Saddam Hussein - capture or kill him. The problem with this is that while Hussein may ... Read More
Christian Bigotry over Muslims' Call to Prayers
Friday April 23, 2004
Hamtramck, Michigan is a small town that is completely surrounded by Detroit. Like Detroit, it is becoming increasingly diverse - and that means an increasing Muslim population. Now the Bangladeshi ... Read More
Anti-Catholicism in "Left Behind" Series?
Friday April 23, 2004
The "Left Behind" series of books, created by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins in 1995, have been hugely popular. They are, in fact, one of the most popular series ... Read More
Witches & Witchcraft
Friday April 23, 2004
Book of the Day: The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-Paganism
What is Witchcraft? Is it related to Satanism? What is the origin of the Wiccan religion we ... Read More
Land Transfer to Save Ten Commandments Monument?
Thursday April 22, 2004
Communities trying to keep Ten Commandments monuments often try to sell the land under the monument to a private entity. They hope that this will allow them to keep the ... Read More
Islam in German Schools
Thursday April 22, 2004
Muslim students are having trouble coping with the standards in German schools - not the academic standards, but the social and behavioral standards which sometimes contradict Islamic teachings. Examples include ... Read More
Misrepresenting Skepticism
Thursday April 22, 2004
Conservative evangelicals are caught in a dilemma: their religion is based upon faith and religious experiences, but they live in a culture that (ostensibly, at least) values rationality, science, and ... Read More
NXIVM Loses in Court. Again
Thursday April 22, 2004
I've reported several times before about NXIVM, a group that has sued over being called a "cult" and to have materials critical of it taken down from a web site. ... Read More
Blow Struck Against Freedom of Association
Thursday April 22, 2004
One of the freedoms many people take for granted is the freedom of association - the right to spend time with any person or group they wish to. Our government ... Read More
Southern Baptists and Women Pastors
Thursday April 22, 2004
Not content to simply limit women's role in the home and in marriage, as they did during the 1998 meeting, the Southern Baptist Convention is also determined to make sure ... Read More
What is Marriage? Don't Ask Conservatives
Thursday April 22, 2004
The conservative case against gay marriage is often based in large part on the idea that there is and has always been only a single valid form of marriage: that ... Read More
Discussion: Is President Bush Morally Stunted?
Thursday April 22, 2004
A forum member writes: Ethicist Peter Singer says that George W. Bush has the moral development of a 13 year old boy, seeing the world "very simply, in black and ... Read More
Communion Watch for Kerry
Thursday April 22, 2004
One of the issues facing John Kerry this election season is the status of his religion. Many people, but especially conservatives, are trying to pin him down on just whether ... Read More
This Date in History: "In God We Trust"
Thursday April 22, 2004
April 22, 1864: The motto "In God We Trust" first appeared on U.S. coins - specifically, the a bronze two-cent piece issued during the American Civil War.
Pat Boone: Censorship is "Healthy" for Society
Thursday April 22, 2004
Censorship is debated a great deal - most agree that there are some materials which should be prohibited, but where exactly the line should be drawn is another matter entirely. ... Read More
Bush's Responsibilities
Thursday April 22, 2004
What matters most - government policies on stem cell research or dealing with possible terrorist attacks on the United States? Most people will say the latter - but the actions ... Read More
Poor, Persecuted Evangelicals
Thursday April 22, 2004
Evangelical Christians in America tend to consider themselves to be a persecuted minority - according to a recent survey conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, 77% of white evangelicals, 59% ... Read More
Abortion War: Violence in America
Thursday April 22, 2004
Book of the Day: Wrath of Angels: The American Abortion War
Anti-abortion activism is perhaps the largest social protest movement since the 1960s anti-war demonstrations which gripped campuses and cities across ... Read More
Evildoers Have No Souls
Wednesday April 21, 2004
Do religious fanatics have souls or consciences? Not according to President George W. Bush - at least, not so long as the fanatics are Muslims. Unfortunately for Bush, such a ... Read More
Australian TV Viewer Sues for Blasphemy
Wednesday April 21, 2004
An evangelical Christian is suing Channel 7 in Australia because a character in a crime drama swore using the name "Jesus Christ." This, according to, Andre van der Linden, is ... Read More
France to Expel Muslim Cleric
Wednesday April 21, 2004
For some reason, a number of Muslim clerics have a serious problem with women - specifically, they think that there is something about women that can justify a man beating ... Read More
Criticizing Religion
Wednesday April 21, 2004
You won't see a great deal of public criticism of religion in America. There will occasionally be criticism of some extremist forms of religion, that is true, but criticism of ... Read More
Bush's Religious War
Wednesday April 21, 2004
Most people are probably aware that religion is very important in President George W. Bush's life and in the development of his policies. Bush reads the Bible daily and biblical ... Read More
Christian Violence & Wiccans
Wednesday April 21, 2004
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. Wicca, in case ... Read More
Bible College Leads to the White House
Wednesday April 21, 2004
You may not have heard of Patrick Henry College in Virginia, but you should familiarize yourself with it. Of the nearly 100 interns in the White House, seven are from ... Read More
Prince and the Jehovah's Witnesses
Wednesday April 21, 2004
Prince has had an interesting career - but many may be unaware of the fact that he has recently converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Even fewer are probably aware of ... Read More
This Date in History: Abortion in America
Wednesday April 21, 2004
April 21, 1971: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on its first abortion case: United States v. Vuitch. The Court upheld a District of Columbia law allowing abortion only to preserve ... Read More
Human Intelligence vs. Divine Intelligence
Wednesday April 21, 2004
The basic premise of the so-called "Intelligent Design" movement, which only serves as a mask for creationism, is that the complexity we see in the world is a sign of ... Read More
Montana Republicans Support Teaching Creationism
Wednesday April 21, 2004
There are two Republicans who would like to become governor of Montana, Tom Keating and Ken Miller. Both favor the teaching of creationism in public schools. Of the four other ... Read More
Acquired Sociopathy: Do Moral Beliefs Motivate Us?
Wednesday April 21, 2004
If a person makes an ethical judgment - for example, that some action is ethically wrong - does this automatically mean that they are motivated not to do it? Some ... Read More
Anti-Wal-Mart? Anti-American!
Tuesday April 20, 2004
In recent years more and more people have become critical of Wal-Mart - specifically, the way in which the company drives down wages, pressures suppliers, runs small companies out of ... Read More
Bishops Delay New Sex-Abuse Audits
Tuesday April 20, 2004
In the wake of the sex-abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church, bishops agreed to institute new disciplinary and reporting standard as well as a follow-up audit in order to ... Read More
Pope's Support of Feeding Tubes Riles Catholic Hospitals
Tuesday April 20, 2004
What should be done with a person who is in a persistent vegetative state and whose body only continues to live through the intervention of machines, like feeding tubes? According ... Read More
Some Seek Removal of Gay Marriage Judges
Tuesday April 20, 2004
Some in Massachusetts are hoping to remove the four Supreme Judicial Court justices who voted to legalize gay marriage. They haven't been able to succeed in stopping gay marriage via ... Read More
Suffering vs. Resurrection
Tuesday April 20, 2004
One of the curious features of Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion" is its almost-exclusive focus on Jesus' suffering and death. While it is true that they are important to Christian ... Read More
What's the Point of Gay Marriage?
Tuesday April 20, 2004
One of the fundamental questions underlying the debate over gay marriage is, quite simply, what the point is for gays to marry. Aside from certain property and legal issues which ... Read More
Tom DeLay Booed by Teachers
Tuesday April 20, 2004
Texas Representative Tom DeLay has a reputation of being very mean and vindictive - apparently, it's a well-deserved reputation, too. He recently made a visit to the Rosenberg Civic Center ... Read More
Supreme Court Rejects Case of Religious Police Officer
Tuesday April 20, 2004
An Indiana state trooper objected to being assigned full-time to work at a casino because gambling was against his religious beliefs. He was fired for refusing the assignment and he ... Read More
This Date in History: Catholicism & Human Rights
Tuesday April 20, 2004
April 20, 1884: Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Humanum genus, rejected the idea that humans have equal rights and should be sovereign.
Art Cover-Up
Tuesday April 20, 2004
Some people really dislike nudity no matter what the context, even art or attempts to replicate art. In Tennessee, the G&L Garden Center has had to cover up statues that ... Read More
Town Won't Support National Day of Prayer
Tuesday April 20, 2004
Many politicians refuse to stand up for the separation of church and state because it means standing up against popular measures. The town council of Belvidere, New Jersey, however, did ... Read More
Truth About Atheism
Tuesday April 20, 2004
Atheists are perhaps the most reviled minority in society - even an openly homosexual candidate has a better chance of being elected to public office than an admitted atheist. Accompanying ... Read More
Humanists Get Tax-Exempt Status in Canada
Monday April 19, 2004
Both the United States and Canada have traditionally given preferential treatment to religious organizations which have sought tax-exempt status. Getting a similar designation for a secular group has often required ... Read More
Two Kinds of Rationality?
Monday April 19, 2004
What does it mean to be "rational"? Sometimes when we say that a person "is rational" because their beliefs are well-justified in terms of evidence, reason, and logic. Other times, ... Read More
IRS Investigating Hovind
Monday April 19, 2004
Kent Hovind, also known as "Dr. Dino," is an important figure in the creationist movement. He has invested a lot of time and money in unsuccessful attempts to refute evolution ... Read More
Asserting Church over State
Monday April 19, 2004
There are a number of people in America who would like to see our democratic system overthrown and a theocratic system based upon reactionary Christianity imposed on the population. Their ... Read More
The Hunger Project: Going After Critics
Monday April 19, 2004
If you look at their web site, you'll find that The Hunger Project describes itself as a "a strategic organization and global movement committed to the sustainable end of world ... Read More
Nietzsche vs. Gibson
Monday April 19, 2004
One of the curious features of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion" is how it is almost entirely preoccupied with the suffering and death of Jesus. We are told nothing about ... Read More
Decline of Muslim Science
Monday April 19, 2004
There was a time in the past when Muslims led the world in terms of medical and scientific development. There were so far advanced of Europe that anyone at the ... Read More
Al-Sadr's Thugs Destroy Village
Monday April 19, 2004
Moqtada al-Sadr is a powerful religious voice in Iraq and his fiercely loyal Mahdi Army is becoming a powerful military force. But a voice for what and a force for ... Read More
This Date in History: German Protestants
Monday April 19, 2004
April 19, 1529: At the Diet of Spires (Speyer) in Germany, Lutheran leaders signed a document to "protest" the lack of freedom of conscience and the rights of minorities. After ... Read More
Does Christianity Exist?
Monday April 19, 2004
There are a lot of different forms of Christianity in the world today - a bewildering array of sects, denominations, and groups who have some things in common but sometimes ... Read More
Adult Novelties Ruled Obscene
Monday April 19, 2004
Government is continuing its crackdown on obscenity and pornography - not just videos and movies, but also novelty items. The Lion’s Den Adult Superstore northwest of Abilene, Texas, has apparently ... Read More
Women Banned from TV in Afghan Province
Monday April 19, 2004
Women continue to be hit with barriers to freedom in "Liberated" Afghanistan. Now, the southeastern province Nangahar (which is heavily patrolled by U.S. forces) has banned women from the television ... Read More
Ban on Televised Miracles
Sunday April 18, 2004
Religious television shows which depict "miracles" - such as miraculous healings - are rather common in America. There are plenty of Christian preachers who are willing to go on the ... Read More
New Southern Baptist Bible Coming
Sunday April 18, 2004
Apparently tired of "liberal" Bible translations that don't do enough to reinforce conservative and evangelical dogmas, the Southern Baptist Convention will soon publish their own translation of the Bible - ... Read More
Bush: Doing God's Work
Sunday April 18, 2004
There has been quite a lot of negative commentary on President George W. Bush's recent press conference. Even some of Bush's supporters were disappointed by his lackluster performance. One thing ... Read More
Women Organize to Fight Fundamentalism
Sunday April 18, 2004
Women are frequently the first targets of religious fundamentalism - by controlling women, fundamentalists are in a better position to control families and society in general. Women also tend to ... Read More
Atheists Denied Equal Treatment?
Sunday April 18, 2004
It is an unfortunate experience of many atheists that their positions and idea aren't as tolerated as those of just about anyone else. This seems to be the reason behind ... Read More
Christian Violence: Bible Wars
Sunday April 18, 2004
One sad bit of American and Christian history which few (if any) manage to learn about are the "Bible Wars" between Catholics and Protestants in the latter half of the ... Read More
Truth in Fiction
Sunday April 18, 2004
Fictional stories aren't true, that's obvious. However, when we read a fictional story we normally accept that what we are told is "true" in the context of the story. This ... Read More
Music Downloading in Canada
Sunday April 18, 2004
A forum member writes: The recording industry is reeling from the ruling which dismissed their efforts to get internet service providers to cough up the names of 29 file sharers. ... Read More
Jimmy Carter on Religion and Politics
Sunday April 18, 2004
Former president Carter is at it again, demonstrating that religion and religious values aren't dependent upon a conservative evangelical form of Christianity. How dare he! He's got conservative evangelicals all ... Read More
This Date in History: St. Peter's Basilica
Sunday April 18, 2004
April 18, 1606: Pope Julius II laid the foundation stone of the second building of St. Peter's Basilica. It was completed 20 years later by Pope Urban VIII and today ... Read More
Liberal Priest Booted, Starts New Church
Sunday April 18, 2004
In April 2002 Rev. Bill Hausen was transferred from his Sewickley parish (located in a Pittsburgh suburb) to the Sacred Heart Parish in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Why? Because ... Read More
Satire Lost on Anti-Gay Bigots
Sunday April 18, 2004
The Thames Valley District school board in Ontario, Canada, was approached by a parents' group to hald the spread of the "homosexual agenda" in schools. Unfortunately for them, they used ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Beveridge on Language
Sunday April 18, 2004
Careful and correct use of language is a powerful aid to straight thinking, for putting into words precisely what we mean necessitates getting our own minds quite clear on what ... Read More
Christian Violence: Northern Ireland
Saturday April 17, 2004
The terrible combination of nationalism, politics and religion has had deadly consequences for the people living in Northern Ireland. Catholics and Protestants have been vilifying, attacking, torturing and killing each ... Read More
McCarthy-Era War on Gays
Saturday April 17, 2004
The recent debate over whether the federal government should protect gays from discrimination or allow them to be fired from government service merely because they are gay has given rise ... Read More
Christian Coalition: Anti-Marriage?
Saturday April 17, 2004
Like other Christian Right organizations, the Christian Coalition of America has long portrayed itself as a defender of traditional family values against encroachments of godless secularism. Such claims don't seem ... Read More
This Date in History: Diet of Worms
Saturday April 17, 2004
April 17, 1521: Martin Luther appeared before the Diet of Worms. The next day Luther refused to repudiate his works unless convinced of error by Scripture or reason. According to ... Read More
Money Matters in Death Penalty Cases
Saturday April 17, 2004
It's long been thought that the difference in resources between prosecutors and public defenders has distorted justices, especially where death penalty cases are concerned. Shouldn't the government be just as ... Read More
Platonism and Western Religion
Saturday April 17, 2004
Many people think that a fundamental disagreement between religion and irreligion involves the concept of gods - but they are wrong. Much more fundamental than that are basic metaphysical ... Read More
Heed Not the Fanatics
Saturday April 17, 2004
Fanaticism exists in all religious systems. In some religions it may be more popular or prominent, but it can still be found in all. What's curious is that people who ... Read More
Alan Keyes: Separation is a Lie
Friday April 16, 2004
Many people may be familiar with the name Alan Keyes, but not familiar with what the man does or what he stands for. To put it simply, he is a ... Read More
Apology Accepted
Friday April 16, 2004
While visiting Greece in 2001, Pope John Paul II issued ao formal apology for crusaders who sacked Constantinople 800 years ago. In a speech on the 800th anniversary of the ... Read More
Women Get Faith-Based Prison
Friday April 16, 2004
Another faith-based prison has been opened in Florida, this one specifically for women. In the Hillsborough Correctional Institution, women will participate in a "faith- and character-based" program which will emphasize ... Read More
Evangelizing with the Ten Commandments
Friday April 16, 2004
There's a different breed of evangelist out there: instead of trying to tell you about how much God loves you, their tactic is to tell you how much God is ... Read More
Anti-Abortion Pamphlet Barred From School
Friday April 16, 2004
A 14-year-old student in Florida wanted to distribute anti-abortion pamphlets in school but administrators refused to allow it. She took the school to court and a federal judge sided with ... Read More
Christian Violence and the Holocaust
Friday April 16, 2004
Was the Nazi Holocaust religious or was it secular? A bit of both, actually. Nazi oppression and massacres against political opponents and gypsies were obviously secular in nature - but ... Read More
Spain to Legalize Gay Marriage
Friday April 16, 2004
In a move that is sure to outrage American conservatives even more, the new socialist government of Spain intends to legalize same-sex marriage, thus giving gays all the same marriage ... Read More
Bill Frist: Liar?
Friday April 16, 2004
After Richard Clarke delivered his testimony to Sept. 11 commission chaired by former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, he was condemned by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) who stated ... Read More
This Date in History: Funding Religious Schools
Friday April 16, 2004
April 16, 1973: Argued: Committee for Public Education v. Nyquist The Supreme Court would find all three sections of a New York law providing, among other things, tax deductions and ... Read More
Scientology: America's Established Religion
Friday April 16, 2004
Some people are starting to sit up and take notice of the fact that for years now the United States government has been giving Scientology a sweet deal that hasn't ... Read More
Atheism Not a Belief System
Friday April 16, 2004
The Archbishop of Canterbury was speaking about atheism again recently - he got some things right and some things wrong. He correctly observed that atheism is not a belief system ... Read More
Lesbian Partner Recognized as "De-Facto Parent"
Friday April 16, 2004
For the first time ever, a lesbian has been given full parental rights and responsibilities for the biological child of her former partner and despite the fact that she has ... Read More
Islamist Fifth Column
Thursday April 15, 2004
One thing that America hasn't really had to deal with yet is a violent Islamist underground - American Muslims who seek the violent overthrow of the American government in favor ... Read More
Easter Snakebite Kills Pastor
Thursday April 15, 2004
Most people either don't realize or simply forget that there are Christian in America who believe that handling deadly snakes is important as a sign of their religion. Usually they ... Read More
President Bush's Religion
Thursday April 15, 2004
Many in America regard President George W. Bush's religious beliefs to be one of his most important features. For supporters, it means that he shares their religious values. For opponents, ... Read More
Gay Marriage Exposes Hate and Fear in South
Thursday April 15, 2004
In many areas of the south, gay marriage and homosexuality in general have become "public enemy #1." They are regarded as an unforgivable assault upon Christian values and American society ... Read More
Polish Bishops: Vote Christian!
Thursday April 15, 2004
In Poland, the Roman Catholic hierarchy doesn't want people voting for politicians who are insufficiently Christian and/or insufficiently Catholic. Apparently, such people just can't be trusted and don't have very ... Read More
Christian Violence: Witches
Thursday April 15, 2004
Witches have long been feared and hated in Christian circles. Even today, pagans and Wiccans remain a target of Christian persecution and violence - even in America. It seems that ... Read More
Catholic Scorecard for Democrats?
Thursday April 15, 2004
Democratic politicians keep coming under attack from conservatives for not being sufficiently religious and even for not being sufficiently "Catholic." Is this true? Such allegations usually focus on a couple ... Read More
Prayer-Critic's Home Vandalized for Passover
Thursday April 15, 2004
The conflict over school board prayers in Manatee County, Florida, have gotten a step worse. I've reported many times before on the controversy - first they insisted that they would ... Read More
This Date in History: Jean-Paul Sartre
Thursday April 15, 2004
April 15, 1980: French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre died in Paris at the age of 74.
Court: Boy Scouts' Lease is Unconstitutional
Thursday April 15, 2004
Already fighting a losing battle to retain a lease for Balboa Park in San Diego, the Boy Scouts have now been informed by a judge that their lease of an ... Read More
A Ride Through Chernobyl
Thursday April 15, 2004
The region around Chernobyl is a "dead zone" - hardly anyone lives there and what life does exist in the region is poisoned. It will be for centuries to come. ... Read More
Gays More Popular than Atheists
Thursday April 15, 2004
There has been a lot of recent media attention on the issue of gay marriage and, as a consequence, on gays in America generally. It appears that the general public ... Read More
Jews to Give Up World Control
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Apparently tired of the long hours, low pay, and utter ingratitude on the part of the goyim, Jews have decided to give up control of the world and take a ... Read More
Advertiser Pressures Publications to Suppress Critical Ads
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Abbott Laboratories has instituted a 400% price hike on their key AIDS drug Norvir. Various groups are naturally upset about this and have created a parody of Abbott advertisements in ... Read More
What's Wrong with Mercenaries?
Wednesday April 14, 2004
There are more armed "civilian contractors" (read: mercenaries) in Iraq than there are British soldiers, making them the second largest fighting force in Iraq after the American military. Is the ... Read More
Show Promotes "Cure" for Homosexuality
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Casos de Familia, a talk show on the Spanish-language network Univision, in under attack for a airing program that included so-called "reparative therapy" and telling viewers homosexuality could be "cured" ... Read More
God Bless Atheists?
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Atheists commonly challenge religious believers to support their claims and defend their beliefs. All too often, though, believers react badly to this and consider such challenges to be insult. This, ... Read More
Christian Violence: Reformation
Wednesday April 14, 2004
The Reformation was supposed to restore a more original and more pure form of Christianity. One of the results was the death of millions upon millions of Europeans during decades ... Read More
A Second Face on the Shroud of Turin
Wednesday April 14, 2004
All scientific tests done so far have indicated that the Shroud of Turin is not a genuine burial cloth of someone like Jesus but is, instead, a fake. Even a ... Read More
Catholics Identifying Feminism as a Secular "Evil"
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Is feminism an evil that is comparable with the abuse of drugs? Apparently so - at least from the perspective of some Catholic leaders who can't abide by the idea ... Read More
This Date in History: Libya Bombings
Wednesday April 14, 2004
April 14, 1986: In retaliation against Libya for the bombing of a Berlin disco that killed one American serviceman, American planes from British bases and carriers in the Mediterranean Sea ... Read More
Politically Charged Prayer Bashes JFK, Separation
Wednesday April 14, 2004
One of the problems with hiring preachers to say prayers before legislative sessions is that these prayers can so easily be used to promote a political agenda - which means ... Read More
Monument Divides Congregation
Wednesday April 14, 2004
It is common for Christians in some areas to defend the idea of the government giving special support to their religion. Common - but not universal. Some Christians oppose such ... Read More
Christian Martyrdom in America
Wednesday April 14, 2004
Oh, the pain of being a conservative Christian in modern America. Misunderstood at best, abuse and oppression is thrust upon them at every turn - especially when they have the ... Read More
Journalism Student Calls for Theocracy
Tuesday April 13, 2004
The threat and danger of theocracy is most obvious with those who are explicit and open about their desire to overthrow liberal democracy - but they aren't the only ... Read More
Jewish Prisoner wants Race to be Reclassified
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Jews in American prisons can suffer a lot of extra problems because they are targets of vile antisemitism and violence from neo-Nazi thugs who live alongside them. In California, the ... Read More
Macho Jesus
Tuesday April 13, 2004
The Jesus of the past is a wuss - a weak, effeminate, wimpy image of a man(god) incapable of taking the action necessary to wipe the earth clean of unbelievers ... Read More
Will Christianity Solve Our Problems?
Tuesday April 13, 2004
A common refrain heard from conservative religious leaders (and their followers) is that whatever problems society may face, the ultimate cause can be found in people's failure to adhere to ... Read More
Rabbis: Woman Must Choose Divorce or Jail
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Most cultures have tended to treat women as inferior to men, which meant in practice giving women fewer rights relative to men. In some ways and some places, this has ... Read More
Christian Violence: Inquisition
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Pope Gregory IX established the Inquisition in 1231, and burning was quickly decided upon as the official Christian punishment. Administrators and Inquisitors were all answerable directly to the Pope - ... Read More
Catholic War on Gay Marriage
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Catholic legislators in Massachusetts who support gay rights are experiencing lobbying pressure from the Catholic Church unlike anything that they have ever seen before. Even the church itself hasn't gone ... Read More
Efficiency of Private Charities?
Tuesday April 13, 2004
One of the driving forces behind the push for faith-based programs being funded by the government, as well as all sorts of other privatization plans, is the assumption that private ... Read More
This Date in History: Josephus & the Jewish Zealots
Tuesday April 13, 2004
April 13, 0073: According to Jewish historian Josephus, 967 Jewish zealots committed mass suicide at the fortress of Masada the night before the Roman Tenth Legion broke through the walls. ... Read More
Phyllis Schlafly vs. Reality
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Phyllis Schlafly is an important figure in America's Christian Right. Sometimes she has something insightful and intelligent to offer on the news, but usually what she writes is so bizarre ... Read More
Oil Tears Don't Deter Faithful
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Statues that weep or bleed are popular among some religious believers, especially Catholics, despite the fact that none have actually been proven to cry real tears or shed real blood. ... Read More
Jahiliyya and the Christian Right
Tuesday April 13, 2004
Muslim extremists rely heavily upon the concept of jahiliyya, a state of ignorance or barbarism that is contrasted against the order and civilization of Islam. Who knew that America's Christian ... Read More
Court to Hear Appeal on Ten Commandments
Monday April 12, 2004
I reported in February that a panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Ten Commandments monument in a city park in Plattsmouth, Kansas, would have ... Read More
Gay Man Denied Job as Chaplain
Monday April 12, 2004
Should a Catholic charity be able to exclude gay men from being lay chaplains? That's being tested in Britain where a gay man that had been offered such a job ... Read More
Scientology Awarded USD $500,000
Monday April 12, 2004
A few days ago I reported on how the Church of Scientology is suing Gerry Armstrong, once a researcher and archivist for Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who left the ... Read More
Goat Sacrifice Disturbs Neighbors
Monday April 12, 2004
Santeria is a widely misunderstood religion - so misunderstood, in fact, that it is common for people to file complaints about Santeria whenever they see evidence of it being practiced. ... Read More
Federal Government Will Protect Gays
Monday April 12, 2004
I reported earlier about how Republican appointee Scott J. Bloch, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, (the agency that is supposed to protect government whistleblowers and others from ... Read More
What is Pentecost?
Monday April 12, 2004
For devout Christians, Pentecost celebrates the day when the Holy Spirit descended among the followers of Jesus, allowing them to communicate with each other even though they didn't know each ... Read More
Organized Atheists Bother the Christian Right
Monday April 12, 2004
You may already be aware of the Godless Americans Political Action Committee (GAMPAC). Well, the Christian Right is certainly taking notice, even as they are trying to dismiss it. They ... Read More
Prosecutor Suing Ashcoft over Terrorism
Monday April 12, 2004
The Bush administration is relying heavily on their handling of the "war on terrorism" in the upcoming election campaign. They hope that the American public will approve of how they ... Read More
This Date in History: Seneca
Monday April 12, 2004
April 12, 0065: The Roman philosopher Seneca (the younger) died.
Cheney's Wife Nixes Re-Issue of Racy Lesbian Sex Novel
Monday April 12, 2004
Because of popular demand, a publisher was planning on a reissue of a steamy sex novel written by Lynne Cheney, the wife of vice-president Dick Cheney. She, however, didn't want ... Read More
Under God.... or Over?
Monday April 12, 2004
The friends of God are not necessarily the friends of God and religion while the enemies of God and religion are, perhaps, their best friends. Have we gone down the ... Read More
Protecting America from Dangerous Novelists
Monday April 12, 2004
Because of the threat of terrorism, the American border has become a bit more difficult to cross - and that is quite understandable. Still, this doesn't seem to justify detaining ... Read More
Easter
Sunday April 11, 2004
Read about the dating, history, and pagan traditions which are involved in the Christian celebration of Easter and commemoration of the date when Christians believe that Jesus was resurrected. Read ... Read More
Outsourcing War
Sunday April 11, 2004
More and more, the United States of America is relying upon mercenaries to deal with military operations around the world. In Falluja, four of those mercenaries were killed in a ... Read More
Bootlegging "The Passion"
Sunday April 11, 2004
Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion" is supposed to be a religious movie and its audience is supposed to be sincerely Christian people. One would think, then, that such people would ... Read More
This Date in History: Tom Hurndall
Sunday April 11, 2004
April 11, 2003: Tom Hurndall, a British photographer and peace activist observing the activities of a peace group in Gaza, was shot in the head by a soldier in the ... Read More
Gay Marriage Amendment: Slap at States' Rights
Sunday April 11, 2004
Bob Barr's conservative credentials are unimpeachable - there are few who have been as consistently conservative as he. That does not mean, however, that he supports efforts to amend the ... Read More
The Pledge and Original Intent
Sunday April 11, 2004
Was the inclusion of the phrase "under God" intended as an expression of religious solidarity and as a means to link patriotism with a certain type of theism? The evidence ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Sagan on Science
Sunday April 11, 2004
There are no forbidden questions in science, no matters too sensitive or delicate to be probed, no sacred truths.
- Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
As you can probably imagine, the above ... Read More
What is Holy Saturday?
Saturday April 10, 2004
The day immediately before Easter Sunday, Holy Saturday is a time when Christians engage in preparations for Easter celebrations. Read More...
Questioning Market-Driven Evangelical Churches
Saturday April 10, 2004
More and more churches today are "marketing" themselves - adopting the language and tactics of regular businesses in an effort to attract "customers" to the pulpits. Even some evangelical churches ... Read More
This Date in History: Loving v. Virginia & Interracial Marriage
Saturday April 10, 2004
April 10, 1967: Argued: Loving v. Virginia A Virginia law against interracial marriages would be struck down, with the Supreme Court declaring that marriage is a "fundamental civil right" and ... Read More
Faith-Based Criticisms of Bush
Saturday April 10, 2004
President Bush shouldn't have let anyone in his administration respond to John Kerry's comments about faith and works. If they had kept quiet, the words would have simply disappeared off ... Read More
NCSE Promoting Religion?
Saturday April 10, 2004
The National Review Online seems bound and determined to make a name for themselves as shills for creationism and unscientific opponents of evolution. Of course, perhaps that is exactly what ... Read More
Church of Scotland Supports Demon Possession
Saturday April 10, 2004
When people start acting out of character, should we: talk to a doctor, talk to a psychologist, or hire an exorcist? Most people today would probably consider the first or ... Read More
Peace Negotiations with Osama Bin Laden?
Friday April 9, 2004
A forum member writes: Mo Mowlam, the UK's former Northern Ireland Secretary, has called for talks between Britain, the UK and bin Laden. "If you do not you condemn large ... Read More
Saudi Funding of Terror Suspects... in America
Friday April 9, 2004
Is the Saudi government funding religious extremists? Of course they are - that's been known for a long time and they show little interest in stopping it, even though religious ... Read More
Crackpot Index
Friday April 9, 2004
With all the new scientific and allegedly scientific ideas that come out, how is a lay person to distinguish between the things which are genuine science and the things which ... Read More
Hostility Towards Atheists
Friday April 9, 2004
One interesting thing that has come out of the Michael Newdow's attempt to have the phrase "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance is that a lot of the ... Read More
Anti-Jewish vs. Anti-Gay Speech: Comparison, Analysis
Friday April 9, 2004
It has been claimed that the Christian Right's battle against gays, demonizing them at every turn, is eerily similar to the Nazi efforts to demonize Jews before World War II. ... Read More
Unreliable "Documentary" on the Shroud of Turin
Friday April 9, 2004
Conservatives like to complain about the "liberal" media, but the fact of the matter is that even a place like PBS will pander to popular religious beliefs when it serves ... Read More
What is Good Friday?
Friday April 9, 2004
The Friday immediately before Easter, Good Friday is a day when Christians do penance and commemorate the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Read More...
Bush: Holier than Thou?
Friday April 9, 2004
There are many, both on the left and on the right, who regard George W. Bush as the most religious and most pious president that America has ever had. But ... Read More
Mosques Calling for Jihad in Iraq
Friday April 9, 2004
Things have been getting very difficult in Iraq lately - but figuring out just how bad it is or is not going is difficult because of the lack of on-the-spot ... Read More
This Date in History: Azusa Street Revival
Friday April 9, 2004
April 09, 1909: The first recorded instances in America of groups speaking in tongues occurred in Los Angeles under the leadership of black evangelist William J. Seymour. This event marked ... Read More
Atheists Not Welcome in Colorado?
Friday April 9, 2004
The Atheist Alliance is holding its national convention this weekend in Colorado Springs, but Governor Bill Owens and Mayor Lionel Rivera have refused to extend them an official welcome - ... Read More
Godless Double in Ireland
Friday April 9, 2004
Some interesting statistics from Ireland: the number of non-religious has doubled, the number of Catholics has dropped as a proportion of the population, and the numbers of Muslims and Orthodox ... Read More
Black Pastors on Same-Sex Marriage
Friday April 9, 2004
There is a contentious debate with the African-American community about whether gays should be allowed to marry. Many blacks are conservative on such issues and thus oppose gay marriage. Many ... Read More
Book with Information on Evolution Will Remain
Thursday April 8, 2004
In Helena, Montana, Roxanne Cleasby wanted to get the book "Horses" by Juliet Clutton-Brock pulled from the Smith Elementary School library because it contains a couple of pages dealing with ... Read More
Is Bush Really Pro-Life?
Thursday April 8, 2004
President George W. Bush is widely treated in conservative circles as a "pro-life" president, an image which helps him out quite a bit among Catholic voters. But is this image ... Read More
Final Words on the Pledge of Allegiance
Thursday April 8, 2004
Well, this probably won't be the final time I post on the matter, but I've come across a document that lays out all the reasons why the use of "under ... Read More
Same-Sex Marriages: Anarchist Plot
Thursday April 8, 2004
Did you know that the efforts to secure the right of gays to marry is not actually a civil rights movement but, rather, an anarchists' movement to undermine America's laws ... Read More
What is Maundy Thursday?
Thursday April 8, 2004
Also known as Holy Thursday, this date commemorates both Judas' betray of Jesus and Jesus' creation of the rite of Eucharist during the Last Supper. Read More...
Bible Verses on a Fire Truck
Thursday April 8, 2004
A fire truck in Marion, Indiana, now has part of a Bible verse painted on the side: "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will ... Read More
If Your Eye Causes You to Sin...
Thursday April 8, 2004
Although most religious believers won't like to acknowledge it, I must conclude that when a person takes a lot of ancient scriptures literally and as applicable today, perhaps their sanity ... Read More
This Date in History: Jimmy Swaggert
Thursday April 8, 2004
April 08, 1988: Televangelist Jimmy Swaggert was defrocked by the Assemblies of God after it was revealed that he was involved with a prostitute. Swaggert was ordered to stay off ... Read More
Muslim Woman Attacked in Florida
Thursday April 8, 2004
For the most part, Muslims in America have not had to endure hate crimes on account of the terrorism committed by other Muslims in the world. It's not as if ... Read More
Whipping the Easter Bunny
Thursday April 8, 2004
Easter today has both secular and religious aspects - but the existence of secular and other non-Christian features upsets many Christian who seem to want to retain Easter as a ... Read More
Anti-Christian Defense of the Pledge?
Thursday April 8, 2004
Some people see America drifting away from traditional Christianity - and they are right, it is. They hope, however, to stop that drift by getting the government to do more ... Read More
Is Iraq George W. Bush's Vietnam?
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Senator Edward Kennedy says so - and conservatives have decried the comparison, saying that Kennedy doesn't want America to win in Iraq. Is that criticism justified? I don't think so ... Read More
School Teaches Women How to be Perfect Wives
Wednesday April 7, 2004
What does it take for a woman to be a perfect wife? Perhaps intelligence, independence, and emotional maturity? Wrong! At least, that's wrong according to the Tota Topete School, a ... Read More
Methodological and Philosophical Naturalism
Wednesday April 7, 2004
An important goal of the Intelligent Design movement is to get people to think that “methodological naturalism (MN) entails philosophical naturalism (PN)." In other words, they want people to believe ... Read More
Who Needs the Pledge?
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Many defenders of the inclusion of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance like to style themselves as defenders of God, Christianity, and religion as well. They act as though ... Read More
Judge Agrees: Move Commandments to Private Land
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Back in the 1950s, E.J. Ruegemer helped lead the way for the creation of Ten Commandments monuments that were placed in front of county courthouses and in public parks all ... Read More
Antisemitism Rising?
Wednesday April 7, 2004
One of the concerns about Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion" was that it might encourage antisemitism by promoting the belief that Jews, as a group, still bear the responsibility for ... Read More
What is Feast of the Annunciation?
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Although it isn't directly related to Easter, this feast commemorates the day when Mary learned she would give birth to Jesus and falls during Lent. Read More...
Administration's New War on Pornography
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Apparently, terrorism and drugs aren't the only threats to society that are on the Bush administration's radar screen. For the first time in more than a decade, the government is ... Read More
Detroit Police Admit Failure, Reduced to Prayer
Wednesday April 7, 2004
In response to the growing tide of violence in their city, the police department in Detroit has apparently admitted that they are at a loss about what to do and ... Read More
This Date in History: Saint Francis Xavier
Wednesday April 7, 2004
April 07, 1541: Saint Francis Xavier, one of the first members of the Jesuits, set sail from Lisbon, Portugal with three friends. They would become the first Roman Catholic missionaries ... Read More
Lawsuit over Evolution Disclaimers Going Forward
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Cobb County school administrators were hoping that a federal judge would dismiss a lawsuit against them that challenged their use of anti-evolution disclaimers in science text books. Fortunately, the judge ... Read More
Religion Waning in College
Wednesday April 7, 2004
Many people discover, re-discover, or adopt a new religion while in college. It is, after all, the first time that they are away from home for such an extended period ... Read More
County Worker Preaches, Creates Hostile Atmosphere
Wednesday April 7, 2004
It's common for evangelical Christians to, well, evangelize. They try to convert others to their religion. Unfortunately, such conversion efforts can be accompanied with a lack of respect for other's ... Read More
Bible Study Leads to Beating
Tuesday April 6, 2004
Believers typically tak their Bible very seriously - so seriously, in fact, that they don't like it when others disagree with how they read the Bible. Lenny St. Laurent ... Read More
Jews for Jesus Passover
Tuesday April 6, 2004
The evangelical group "Jews for Jesus" pretends to be Jewish but on a practical level is more evangelical Christian - and around this time of year, the seem to like ... Read More
Pyrrhic Victory for the Pledge?
Tuesday April 6, 2004
It's entirely possible that the Supreme Court will rule against Micheal Newdow and decide that there is nothing unconstitutional about having the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. ... Read More
Married to the Jihad
Tuesday April 6, 2004
People may not have given it much thought, but in hindsight it should be pretty obvious: many, if not most, of the leaders of Islamic terrorism are family men with ... Read More
Israelis Mostly Ignore "The Passion"
Tuesday April 6, 2004
Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion" hasn't been released in Israel - and not many people seem to care. It's not that it has been censored - no distributors have even ... Read More
Christian Violence: Crusades
Tuesday April 6, 2004
One of the most famous examples of religious violence in the Middle Ages is of course the Crusades - attempts by European Christians to impose their vision of religion upon ... Read More
Catholic Masses Outsourced to India
Tuesday April 6, 2004
The question of "outsourcing" is a big issue in the American media today. More and more companies are outsourcing whatever they can to other nations where the same job can ... Read More
Discussion: Shroud of Turin
Tuesday April 6, 2004
A forum member writes: After the rage behind “The Passion”, it was quite obvious that renewed claims about the Shroud of Turin would resurface. As it happens often with rabid ... Read More
The Pledge of Allegiance as Religious Practice
Tuesday April 6, 2004
Some defenders of the Pledge of Allegiance argue that reciting the phrase "under God" is no worse than carrying around money that has "In God We Trust" printed on it. ... Read More
This Date in History: Palestinian Refugees
Tuesday April 6, 2004
April 06, 1972: Egypt severed "all relations" with Jordan because they alleged that King Hussein's plan for a federation of Jordanians and Palestinians would only serve to legitimize the presence ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses Speak Out on Abuse
Tuesday April 6, 2004
Although most discussion about the sexual abuse of children in churches has occurred in the context of the Roman Catholic Church, there has also been abuse elsewhere. One denomination that ... Read More
Ten Commandments in the Cafeteria
Tuesday April 6, 2004
The Humansville School District in southwest Missouri faces a lawsuit because of a Ten Commandments plaque in the high school cafeteria. Thus far, the administration and the local population are ... Read More
Is God On Our Side?
Tuesday April 6, 2004
I hate to keep picking on the same person too often here - I don't want to come across as bullying the weak. Sometimes, though, someone writes something that is ... Read More
Pro-Christian Bias May End in Britain
Monday April 5, 2004
In Britain, parents who want to send their children to church schools are eligible for subsidies that pay for a school transport pass; parents who don't want to send their ... Read More
Anti-Abortion Extremist Guilty of Molestation
Monday April 5, 2004
John Burt, an anti-abortion extremist with a long record of connections to violence against clinics, was found guilty of molesting a 15-year-old girl who lived at Burt's Our Father's House, ... Read More
Supreme Court Won't Hear Case on Distributing Religious Messages
Monday April 5, 2004
The Supreme Court will let stand a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court decision that a kindergarten student can be prohibited by a public school from distributing pencils and candy canes with ... Read More
Muslims Students Must Pray Outside School
Monday April 5, 2004
Previously, Muslims students in San Jose were able to pray inside school because administrators set aside a classroom for their use. Recently, though, that has been taken away because administrators ... Read More
Schools Should Encourage Prayers
Monday April 5, 2004
Some people defending the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance make the lame argument that the phrase doesn't really signify anything religious. Others, however, are more honest and ... Read More
What is Holy Week?
Monday April 5, 2004
The final week of Lent, Holy Week is a time filled with celebrations and special commemorations for devout Christians - all culminating with the celebration of Easter. Read More...
Intelligent Design? Not Even Imaginative Design
Monday April 5, 2004
A recent story in World magazine had four leader of the so-called "Intelligent Design" movement imagine that they were living in the year 2025 and were asked to write an ... Read More
Child-Killer Mom Acquitted, Found Insane
Monday April 5, 2004
A few days ago I wrote about Deanna Laney, the Texas woman accused of killing her two older sons (ages 6 and 8) and maiming her youngest in his crib. ... Read More
This Date in History: Hypnotism
Monday April 5, 2004
April 05, 1898: Clinical psychologist Morton Prince first hypnotized "Sally Beauchamp," a patient of his. He later claimed to have found three separate personalities in her. This was one of ... Read More
Warrantless Searches in Louisiana
Monday April 5, 2004
Most Americans assume that in order for one's house to be searched, police have to go to a judge and show that they have good reasons for a search. This ... Read More
Carey's Assault on Islam
Monday April 5, 2004
When George Carey retired from the office of Archbishop of Canterbury, he didn't retire from public speaking and stating his opinion on matters. Recently he made a speech in Rome ... Read More
Church Employee Supports Kerry, Is Fired
Monday April 5, 2004
Ono Ekeh was an employee of the U.S. Bishop's Conference. Ekeh was also founder and moderator of the Catholics for Kerry e-mail discussion list. Unfortunately, his participation in the latter ... Read More
What is Palm Sunday?
Sunday April 4, 2004
Also known as Passion Sunday, this day marks the beginning of Holy Week, the last week in Lent, and commemorates the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Read More...
Baptist Lawyer Testifies on Faith-Based Discrimination
Sunday April 4, 2004
When considering the question of discrimination among religious groups receiving government aid, there are actually two types that are at issue. First there is the question of whether the government ... Read More
Lesbian's Health Endangered By Religious Health Care Provider?
Sunday April 4, 2004
Should gays and lesbians receive the same level of health care that straights receive? One would think that the answer to this would be obvious - what sort of bigot ... Read More
This Date in History: Religious Tax Exemptions
Sunday April 4, 2004
April 04, 1958: Argued: First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles v. County of Los Angeles Can religious tax exemptions be conditioned on a oath of adherence to some particular political ... Read More
Cleric: 9-11 was a Miracle from God
Sunday April 4, 2004
President George W. Bush and his fellow Republicans like to style themselves as the most religious and most godly of Americans. They frequently make references to the idea that God ... Read More
Fanatical Atheists Fighting God
Sunday April 4, 2004
A "fanatic" is someone who is motivated by extreme emotions for an unreasonable cause. Are atheists "fanatics" if they wish the government to stay out of religious matters? That isn't ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses Banned in Moscow
Sunday April 4, 2004
For years, now, the Jehovah's Witnesses have been having trouble in Russia. A 1997 religion law established Orthodox Christianity as the nation's dominant religion and pledged respect for other religions ... Read More
Black Humanists
Sunday April 4, 2004
Book of the Day: The Black Humanist Experience: An Alternative to Religion, edited by Norm R. Allen Jr.
Humanists come from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; however, quite often it ... Read More
What is Lazarus Saturday?
Saturday April 3, 2004
A part of the Easter celebrations of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lazarus Saturday commemorates the time when Jesus is believed to have raised Lazarus from the dead. Read More...
Jefferson, Madison, Newdow?
Saturday April 3, 2004
Most Americans probably don't agree with Michael Newdow's efforts to strip the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance - but at the same time, most efforts to expand ... Read More
Conservative Student: Republicans Too Liberal!
Saturday April 3, 2004
I've posted before about Tim Bueler, the conservative high school student in Sonoma, California, who has attacked his teachers (for being traitors) and his fellow students (for there being too ... Read More
This Date in History: Catholicism & Abortion
Saturday April 3, 2004
April 03, 1992: Cardinal John O'Connor, in a speech before the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, stated that: "The fact is that attacks on the Catholic church's stance on abortion, ... Read More
Integrity at NXIVM?
Saturday April 3, 2004
I've written before about the group NXIVM - they sued critics for labeling them a "cult" but a judge ruled that the critics' web site could remain up. Now, there ... Read More
Allah or Jesus?
Saturday April 3, 2004
There's an email going around which contains a story from Rick Mathes, executive director of Mission Gate Prison Ministry in Chesterfield, Missouri, in which he claims to discuss the nature ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Hoffer on Dissent and Disagreement
Saturday April 3, 2004
The beginning of thought is in disagreement - not only with others but also with ourselves.
- Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind, (1955).
If everyone always agreed with each other ... Read More
Back Room Abortions
Saturday April 3, 2004
Book of the Day: Back Rooms: Voices from the Illegal Abortion Era, by Ellen Messer and Kathryn E. May.
What would life be like if abortion were illegal? Many women alive ... Read More
Sunday For God, Not Sports
Friday April 2, 2004
In most Christian denominations, Sunday is supposed to be a "day of rest" in remembrance of the idea that after God spent six days creating the world, he rested on ... Read More
Religious Discrimination in Daycare
Friday April 2, 2004
A former administrator-director of Elmore Community Children's Center in Ottawa County, Ohio, has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was fired because of religious discrimination. Perhaps those running the daycare ... Read More
How To Beat Your Wife
Friday April 2, 2004
Are you a man interested in learning more about how best to beat your wife? Are you a woman who thinks that she could stand to be better corrected and ... Read More
Mount Soledad Cross to be Moved
Friday April 2, 2004
After a 15-year legal battle, the Mount Soledad in San Diego may finally be removed from public land and taken to private property. The agreement hasn't been finalized yet, but ... Read More
Science and Education
Friday April 2, 2004
Science is important in modern society, obviously, but why then don't children learn enough about it in school? What, in fact, should children be learning about science in the first ... Read More
What is Clean Monday?
Friday April 2, 2004
Also a day of strict fasting, Clean Monday begins the "Great Lent" season for Eastern Christians. Read More...
Atheist Under Fire for not Saying "Under God"
Friday April 2, 2004
Kenny Hess, a senior at Spanaway Lake High School in Washington State, has been removed from TV production assignments for the rest of the year because he omitted the ... Read More
California School Rejects Non-Discrimination
Friday April 2, 2004
Polices that prohibit discrimination against transgendered employees and students just isn't acceptable to the Westminster School District in Orange County, California - despite the fact that the absence of ... Read More
Terror in Fallujah
Friday April 2, 2004
Jim writes: The US generals are promising an "appropriate" response that will be deliberate, precise and overwhelming. That implies a major military operation in Fallouja. I don't think that response ... Read More
This Date in History: Jesuits
Friday April 2, 2004
April 02, 1767: King Charles II became convinced that members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) were plotting to kill him and so had more than 6,000 members arrested and ... Read More
Constitutional Amendment to Defend "Under God"?
Friday April 2, 2004
There's a fair chance that the Supreme Court will find a way to avoid ruling in favor of Michael Newdow and striking down the phrase "under God" from the Pledge ... Read More
God Told Her to Kill
Friday April 2, 2004
The dangers of religious belief were brought into the light again recently when a woman accused of killing two of her sons stated that she was acting under the direction ... Read More
Reasoning Behind Headscarf Ban in France
Friday April 2, 2004
The decision to ban Muslim headscarves (as well as other ostentatious religious symbols) from public schools led to widespread criticism of France. Many argued that it was simply anti-Muslim legislation ... Read More
Christian Reconstructionists Back Creationism, Intelligent Design
Thursday April 1, 2004
Creationist groups are very vocal and are able to have a lot of influence - but how and why? More specifically, where are they getting the money to fund their ... Read More
West Bank Miracle Lamb
Thursday April 1, 2004
Palestinians in the West Bank believe that a lamb born on the day that Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed bears a birthmark in the shape of the Arabic word for ... Read More
Elkhart Ten Commandments Monument Ordered Removed
Thursday April 1, 2004
In 2000 the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a Ten Commandments monument on the lawn of the City of Elkhart's Municipal Building be moved. Now, another Ten Commandments display ... Read More
No Free Lunch?
Thursday April 1, 2004
One of the most recent attempts to undermine evolution and defend "Intelligent Design" is the idea of "No Free Lunch." This is the genuine idea that there is no single ... Read More
Arrogance and Ignorance on Behalf of God
Thursday April 1, 2004
What fuels the efforts of conservative and evangelical Christians to defend the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Arrogance and ignorance seem to me to ... Read More
Freedom of Religion vs. Freedom from Religion
Thursday April 1, 2004
When you are the publisher of a newspaper, you have the right to print any sort of silly nonsense in that newspaper and no one can stop you. It doesn't ... Read More
Cleric Seeks Audit of Library Books
Thursday April 1, 2004
Should religious leaders be able to determine what sorts of books should be available in public schools? Some religious leaders certainly think they should and one of those appears to ... Read More
What is Lent?
Thursday April 1, 2004
The penitential period of 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, Lent involves fasting and penitence, both in preparation for Easter and as a way of spiritually "joining" Jesus with ... Read More
Lesbian Kicked Off Team by Religious Coach - and Fights Back
Thursday April 1, 2004
Andrea Zimbardi was cocaptain of the women’s softball team at the University of Florida and apparently one of their best players. That doesn't seem to have mattered to the new ... Read More
Christian Vandalism
Thursday April 1, 2004
Tellurian writes: After I wrote a pro Atheist letter to the Editor of the local newspaper some vandals came out to pay their respects by trashing and throwing paint on ... Read More
Berlin Bans Headscarves, US Government Supports Them
Thursday April 1, 2004
France isn't the only country that has been struggling with what to do about Muslims wearing headscarves. The city government in Berlin has decided to bar city employees from wearing ... Read More
This Date in History: Cotton Mather
Thursday April 1, 2004
April 01, 1693: The four-day-old son of Cotton Mather died. Mather, who had written about the existence of demonic and spectral phenomena in the world, suspected that witchcraft might have ... Read More
Christians Shut Down "Dress-Up Jesus" Site
Thursday April 1, 2004
Do you remember the "Dress-Up Jesus" I reported on a few days ago? Well, Urban Outfitters gave in to public pressure and stopped carrying it. Even worse, though, is that ... Read More
Churches Want Access to Your Kids on School Time
Thursday April 1, 2004
The principal of Bullitt Central High School decided not to allow local ministers to come into the schools' cafeteria and eat with the students - something that outraged Ronald Shaver, ... Read More
Judge Denies Award to Scientology
Thursday April 1, 2004
Gerry Armstrong, once a researcher and archivist for Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, left the group in 1981 and become one of Scientology's most outspoken critics. According to Armstrong, the ... Read More
Why Be a Theist?
Thursday April 1, 2004
Book of the Day: Atheism: The Case Against God, by George Smith.
Is theism a reasonable and rational position, or can a better case be made for atheism and against faith ... Read More