Newsletter 12-31-04
Friday December 31, 2004
This week we'll take a look at some of the most interesting news stories of 2004 dealing with religion, politics, and ethics. We'll also examine a quote from Lucretius on ... Read More
Taking Back Christmas as Engineered Hate
Friday December 31, 2004
What do you suppose is behind the recent campaign to "take back" Christmas from the "godless" hordes of liberals and secularists? It's an important question because we haven't seen this ... Read More
'Happy Holidays' As Atheist Plot
Friday December 31, 2004
Quite a few religious conservatives have acted as though there is some plot among atheists, liberals, and secularists to take Christ out of Christmas - indeed, to eliminate Christianity from ... Read More
This Date in History: Ramadan Terrorism
Friday December 31, 2004
December 31, 1997: To celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims, Islamic militants kill 80 villagers in Shair and Sidi al-Antar in Algeria on ... Read More
Holiday Wishes from the Christian Right
Friday December 31, 2004
Religious conservatives have complained about how the "true meaning" of Christmas has been subverted by godless liberals. It would be valid, then, to wonder just how these same conservatives have ... Read More
No Mandatory Minimums of Religion
Friday December 31, 2004
Some religious conservatives complain when religious beliefs and history are not introduced in public schools. In some cases, the absence of any mention of religion may be unwise from a ... Read More
Interesting Stats from Barna
Friday December 31, 2004
The Barna Group is an evangelical Christian organization that does surveys and research to better understand what Christians believe and how they behave. Many times their results run counter to ... Read More
Christianity, Atheism, and Suicide
Thursday December 30, 2004
Christians sometimes wonder why atheists don't commit suicide, as if life weren't worth living in the absence of their god and their heaven. They don't commit suicide in order to ... Read More
Agitating for a Fascist Takeover?
Thursday December 30, 2004
One of the features of a fascist state is that power tends to be concentrated in a few centralized hands. In America, power is spread out among three branches of ... Read More
This Date in History: Raid at Tyre
Thursday December 30, 2004
December 30, 1187: Conrad of Montferrat, commander of the Christian defenses of Tyre, launches a night raid against several Muslim ships participating in the siege of the city. He is ... Read More
Creationism vs. Imagination
Thursday December 30, 2004
One of the interesting aspects of teaching creationism or "Intelligent" Design is the way in which it would, if adopted, inhibit the principles of imagination and wonder that are so ... Read More
Pennsylvania: Board Stands Behind Intelligent Design
Thursday December 30, 2004
The Dover, Pennsylvania, school district that wants to teach "Intelligent" Design in science classes isn't backing down from their decision. On the contrary, they continue to insist that their decision ... Read More
Anti-Abortion Supporter Gets Treatment - From Aborted Fetuses
Thursday December 30, 2004
Van Golden is a Christian anti-abortion activist from Texas. He is also an anti-abortion voter who has sold his home and moved to China so he can be treated for ... Read More
Newsletter 12-29-04
Wednesday December 29, 2004
News items from the past week include heterosexual marriage certificates being rejected, attempts to eliminate the separation of church and state in Florida, the high costs of poor sex-ed in ... Read More
Nebraska: Math Teacher Fired for Teaching Religion
Wednesday December 29, 2004
The board of Papillion-La Vista High School in Nebraska voted unanimously to fire Robert Ziegler, a second-year math teacher. His offense? He openly admitted to sharing his Christian faith with ... Read More
Harry Potter is Improper Christmas Viewing?
Wednesday December 29, 2004
On Christmas, the BBC aired the movie "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone." Kids probably enjoyed it, but the Church of England didn't. According to the church's leadership, movies that ... Read More
This Date in History: Thomas Becket Murdered
Wednesday December 29, 2004
December 29, 1170: Archbishop Thomas Becket is murdered in the Canterbury Cathedral by four knights who believe that they are executing the wishes of King Henry II.
Religion & the Death Penalty
Wednesday December 29, 2004
Do religions support or oppose the death penalty? The truth is that there is no unified position on capital punishment, even within any religions much less among them. Because of ... Read More
Texas: Muslim School Gets Hostile Letter from 'Christian' Group
Wednesday December 29, 2004
Dar-Ul-Arqam is a private Muslim school in Texas that wanted to join the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools. This would allow it to compete with other private schools ... Read More
Yasser Arafat: Bowling for Bar Mitzvahs?
Wednesday December 29, 2004
Now that Yasser Arafat is dead, investigators are just beginning the plumb the depths of his financial situation. He diverted money donate for the Palestinians to corporate investments all over ... Read More
High School Conservatives
Tuesday December 28, 2004
Conservative political movements have been growing in numbers and influence in high schools across the country. There may be a time in the near future when conservative political clubs are ... Read More
Austin Cline, Anti-Christian
Tuesday December 28, 2004
There are quite a few theists who dislike what I write and what I do with this site. Some even comment on the site, though most have the sense to ... Read More
This Date in History: Equality for All Citizens?
Tuesday December 28, 2004
December 28, 1878: Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Quod Apostolici, rejected the idea that citizens in a state should be equal and have full political freedom, writing that "If ... Read More
Public Servants and the First Amendment
Tuesday December 28, 2004
I've already written about the Alabama judge who has embroidered the Ten Commandments on his robe. There is no excusing or justifying what he has done, although some have tried ... Read More
7,000 Years of Religious Ritual in Mexico
Tuesday December 28, 2004
One thing that hampers religious studies is the fact that we don't have detailed records of the very long-term development of many ancient religions. When we do have anything, it's ... Read More
Blogsnark: Atheism - What's the Point?
Tuesday December 28, 2004
Some people wonder what the point of atheism is, but I tend to wonder what the point is of complaining about atheism when you admit that you don't actually understand ... Read More
Newsletter 12-27-04
Tuesday December 28, 2004
News items from the past week include an atheist arguing that "Intelligent" Design can legitimately be taught in public school science classes, a claim that Democrats are anti-God, the means ... Read More
Faith-Based Law Schools
Monday December 27, 2004
Can a religious law school turn out better and more moral lawyers? Some think so, that's why Jerry Falwell has opened Liberty University Law School. Not everyone agrees, though, and ... Read More
Wing Nut Daily and Dragons
Monday December 27, 2004
Many critics tend to refer to conservative internet publication "World Net Daily" as "Wing Nut Daily." I have resisted the trend, even though I almost always disagree with them, because ... Read More
This Date in History: Christian Temperance Movement Strikes
Monday December 27, 2004
December 27, 1899: Carry Nation, a leader of the American Christian temperance movement, raided and wrecked her first saloon in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
Scientology Giving "Stress Tests" In NYC
Monday December 27, 2004
For some reason, Scientologists have started hitting the streets in New York City to recruit members. They've also been seen in the subway system, but apparently that's illegal and if ... Read More
Israel: Settlers Compare Gaza-Pullout to Holocaust
Monday December 27, 2004
Israeli Settlers in the Gaza Strip really don't want to leave but the Israeli government is likely to take them out by force if they don't go willingly. This is ... Read More
France: Catholics Denounce Books on Mary
Monday December 27, 2004
Roman Catholic leaders in France that condemned two recent books on the Virgin Mary because they criticize traditional Catholic dogmas about whether she was a virgin and whether she gave ... Read More
Darwinism Fails?
Sunday December 26, 2004
I think that the intellectual emptiness of "Intelligent" Design can, in part, be demonstrated in part by the intellectual emptiness of the arguments used by supporters. If there really were ... Read More
Atheism, Theism, and Violence
Sunday December 26, 2004
Quite a few religious believers try to argue that religion and theism are necessary for morality; the implication is that atheism is incompatible with morality in some fashion. Why is ... Read More
This Date in History: First Cloned Human?
Sunday December 26, 2004
December 26, 2002: According to Brigitte Boisselier, a chemist and CEO of Clonaid, on this day the first cloned human being was born. Clonaid is a company created by the ... Read More
Fundamentalist Opposes Christian Right
Sunday December 26, 2004
We normally think of the Christian Right as enjoying strong support among evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. While that may normally be the case, it isn't true for everyone. Some conservative, ... Read More
New Theories Questioning Dead Sea Scrolls
Sunday December 26, 2004
Everyone knows that the Dead Sea Scrolls were written by a community of Essenes living at Qumran... right? Well, maybe not. Recent research suggests a very different story about the ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Lucretius on Mortality
Sunday December 26, 2004
There is no murky pit of hell awaiting anyone ... Mind cannot arise alone without body, or apart from sinews and blood ... You must admit, therefore, that when then ... Read More
Blogsnark: Defending the Alabama Judge
Saturday December 25, 2004
You've probably read about the Alabama Judge who had the Ten Commandments embroidered on this robe. As you can imagine, he does have his supporters - so let's take a ... Read More
Blogsnark: Secularism is Unreal
Saturday December 25, 2004
Secularism is treated as a serious threat by those who would like their society to be aligned according to Islamic law. This is a justified perspective because when a state ... Read More
Blogsnark: Atheist Quiz
Saturday December 25, 2004
Many religious theists simply have no understanding of atheism. If they don't know any atheists and haven't read up on the topic, that's understandable. What's not so understandable, however, is ... Read More
This Date in History: Pope Adrian I
Saturday December 25, 2004
December 25, 0795: Pope Adrian I died. A popular pope, Adrian's reign was one of the longest in papal history. He also presided over the important Second Council of Nicea ... Read More
Blogsnark: Why Are Atheists Atheists?
Saturday December 25, 2004
It's sadly common to find religious believers attacking atheism in a manner that betrays absolutely no understanding of what they are talking about. They don't even understand why an atheist ... Read More
Blogsnark: Christmas Message from the ACLU
Saturday December 25, 2004
One of the curious facets of the contemporary "war" over Christmas is how religious conservatives keep blaming liberals and groups like the ACLU for all of the alleged "problems." They ... Read More
What is Blogsnark?
Saturday December 25, 2004
Readers may have noticed the title "Blogsnark" on a number of posts. What does it mean? I took the inspiration from Websnark, a blog that offers commentary on webcomics. I ... Read More
Blogsnark: Getting Rid of Christmas
Friday December 24, 2004
Is there a secularist conspiracy to get rid of Christmas? Some Christians seem to think so. They can't point to any examples of this occurring or the slightest bit of ... Read More
Massachusetts: Nativity Scene Removed from Elementary School
Friday December 24, 2004
In South Norwood, a nativity scene that has stood in front of the Balch Elementary School every Christmas for 75 years has been removed. The display gave preference to Christianity ... Read More
Bishop Blasts Sunday Shopping
Friday December 24, 2004
Helping to demonstrate just why his diocese is the most "godless" in Britain, Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch has attacked stores that open on Sundays so people can shop. Presumably, ... Read More
Newsletter 12-24-04
Friday December 24, 2004
Welcome to issue #6.51 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at some of the top news stories from 2004 dealing ... Read More
What Would Jesus Do? Evict Homeless Pregnant Woman
Friday December 24, 2004
In North Carolina, the Rev. Oliver S. Robinson, director of the Tabernacle of Faith Church Outreach Center is putting into practice the principle of following what Jesus would do: he's ... Read More
This Date in History: Edessa Recaptured
Friday December 24, 2004
December 24, 1144: Muslim forces under the command of Imad ad-Din Zengi re-capture Edessa, originally taken by Crusaders under Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098. This event makes Zengi a hero ... Read More
Christ-less Christmas at the White House
Friday December 24, 2004
For all of the conservatives' complaining about how our secular culture is making Christmas less religious (thought they blame godless liberals, not the culture), it's interesting that the White House's ... Read More
Lou Dobbs: 'Happy Holidays' Excludes Christmas, Christians
Friday December 24, 2004
Lou Dobbs has been known to take some very bizarre positions in the past but this time he has raised the bar. During a discussion with CNN business correspondent Christine ... Read More
Gay Marriage Is An Attack on Society
Thursday December 23, 2004
Some might think that gay marriage is about gays having the ability to create a public commitment to one another and establish familial or kinship ties with one another in ... Read More
Sex-Ed in Texas
Thursday December 23, 2004
A recent report shows that Texas' limitations on teens' right to confidentiality when obtaining things like birth control has significant costs - around $44 million a year, due mostly to ... Read More
Florida: Hanukkah Songs Replace Christmas Songs, Christians Outraged
Thursday December 23, 2004
The choral concert at the Independence Middle School in Jupiter, Florida, had to be changed when a Jewish student pointed out that all the songs and none Jewish. Administrators checked ... Read More
This Date in History: One True Church vs. Atheism
Thursday December 23, 2004
December 23, 1949: In his Christmas address, Pope Pius XII called upon all Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Jews to unite under "the one true church" (meaning the Roman Catholic Church) ... Read More
California to Challenge Federal Anti-Abortion Provision
Thursday December 23, 2004
A provision in a federal spending bill requires states to exempt health care providers and insurers from any state laws that would force them to provide abortions, make abortion referrals, ... Read More
Florida: Christians Break Law to Erect Nativity Scene
Thursday December 23, 2004
In Florida, Christians who didn't like a County Commission's decision not to erect a nativity display took matters into their own hands. They snuck over to the county's administration building ... Read More
SSA Rejects Heterosexual Marriage Certificates
Thursday December 23, 2004
In September, 2004, the mayor of New Paltz, New York, issued marriage certificates to a number of gay couples. Now the Social Security Administration is refusing to recognize any marriage ... Read More
Saint-Making Pope to Abandon Miracle Clause?
Wednesday December 22, 2004
Pope John Paul II has created more saints than any other pope in history - in fact, he's created more saints than all previous popes combined. Now he may be ... Read More
Site of Jesus' First Miracle Found?
Wednesday December 22, 2004
Just in time for Christmas, news media are reporting that archaeologists have found the site of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine. Anyone who reads the reports closely, however, ... Read More
Georgia: Faith-Based Cheerleader Won't Return
Wednesday December 22, 2004
A cheerleading coach fired by the University of Georgia for religious discrimination won't be returning to work. A judge agreed with the university, finding that Marilou Braswell did cross the ... Read More
Britain: Sikhs Riot, Protest Play, Theater Closes
Wednesday December 22, 2004
A Birmingham theatre tried to put on a production of Behzti, a play that involved sexual abuse and murder occurring in a Sikh temple. British Sikhs were so outraged at ... Read More
Newsletter 12-22-04
Wednesday December 22, 2004
News items from the past week include questions about just what it means to "support the troops," calls from some for Republican politicians to purge their offices of gay employees, ... Read More
Ireland: Priests Defrocked for Sex Abuse
Wednesday December 22, 2004
The scandal of priests sexually abusing children made headlines in America, but it wasn't something that only affected America - similar stories have cropped up elsewhere in the world. Now, ... Read More
This Date in History: Dominicans Founded
Wednesday December 22, 2004
December 22, 1216: Pope Honorius III gave official approval for the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), founded in 1216 by St. Dominic. Its purpose is to convert Muslims and Jews and ... Read More
Pennsylvania: School To Fight Intelligent Design Lawsuit
Wednesday December 22, 2004
The Dover school district in Pennsylvania has apparently decided to fight the ACLU lawsuit challenging their move to teach "Intelligent" Design in science classes. This will eat through a great ... Read More
Michigan to Fund Theological Studies
Wednesday December 22, 2004
Michigan's governor has signed a bill that will provide state scholarships for theology students. People who become ministers or priests still won't get scholarships, but people studying theology as an ... Read More
Minnesota: Cross Removed from Hospital Chapel
Wednesday December 22, 2004
Regions hospital in Minnesota has removed a large cross from its chapel and many Christians are upset. Apparently, they believe that a hospital chapel exists for the exclusive use of ... Read More
Blogsnark: Church vs. State, Religion vs. Atheism
Tuesday December 21, 2004
I've noticed that many conservative evangelicals writing on the web have little understanding of basic concepts like church, state, religion, and atheism. They sometimes even have less understanding of basic ... Read More
This Date in History: First Battle of Harenc
Tuesday December 21, 2004
December 21, 1097: First Battle of Harenc: Because of the size of their forces, Crusaders besieging Antioch are constantly running short of food and conduct raids into the neighboring regions ... Read More
Blogsnark: Systematic Communisation of America
Tuesday December 21, 2004
As I have noted before, conservative evangelicals with poor imaginations often resurrect the boogeyman of communism because they can't come up with a better insult to hurl at others. Communism ... Read More
Anti-Gay McCarthyism
Tuesday December 21, 2004
George W. Bush's reelection as president has already started to have one cultural effect: people are running scared from anything that is supportive of homosexuality and gay Americans. There is ... Read More
Rainbow Sash in Minneapolis
Tuesday December 21, 2004
The Rainbow Sash movement is made up of Catholics working for equality for gays within the Catholic Church. Most bishops deny people communion when they show up wearing rainbow sashes, ... Read More
Britain: Cities Shun Church at Christmas
Monday December 20, 2004
Churches in British cities don't see much of an increase in attendance on Christmas - but churches in rural Britain do. Rural increases can be as much as 200%. What ... Read More
Virginia: School Can Prohibit Religious Songs at Graduation
Monday December 20, 2004
Is it appropriate for a public school to include a religious song during a graduation ceremony? No, not if the song is an official part of the program rather than ... Read More
Florida Jews Hostile to Christianity?
Monday December 20, 2004
Whenever people try to prevent Christians from appropriating the power of the government to promote their religion, they are attacked for being anti-Christian and anti-religion. It seems that no smear ... Read More
Ohio: Christian Concert in Public School Cancelled
Monday December 20, 2004
Is it appropriate for a public school to sponsor a program that includes a Christian group singing religious songs that encourage belief in their religion? Certainly not - there's no ... Read More
Evangelical Filtering and Censorship
Monday December 20, 2004
How do conservative evangelicals deal with "worldly" books, movies, and other forms of entertainment that don't reflect (or even contradict) their religious values? Evidently, they are taught to avoid such ... Read More
Religion & Mothers Who Kill
Monday December 20, 2004
Why is it that so many mothers who kill their children - especially those who do it in ways that capture media attention - are also so religious? People like ... Read More
Oklahoma: School Loses Funds for Removing Nativity Scene
Monday December 20, 2004
The superintendant of the elementary school in Mustang, Oklahoma, decided to remove a Nativity scene from the school's Christmas program. Local voters retaliated by voting down a bond measure that ... Read More
Newsletter 12-20-04
Monday December 20, 2004
News items from the past week include questions about just how racist someone has to be before their columns become too "reprehensible" for Creators Syndicate to distribute, some interesting (but ... Read More
Florida: Voters May End Church/State Separation
Monday December 20, 2004
Many states have constitutional provisions separating church and state that are stricter and more explicit than what is in the U.S. Constitution. Florida is one of them and their constitution ... Read More
This Date in History: Pius XI & Mussolini
Monday December 20, 2004
December 20, 1926: Pope Pius XI praised Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, stating that he was "the man sent by Providence."
Iran Executing Mentally Ill Girls
Monday December 20, 2004
The Iranian mullahs' treatment of women and girls keeps sliding deeper and deeper into depravity. Now they have sentenced a teenage girl with the mental age of 8 to death. ... Read More
Half of Americans Favor Cutting Muslims' Civil Liberties
Monday December 20, 2004
America may be better prepared for fascism and totalitarianism than many realize. A recent survey has found widespread support for cutting the civil liberties of Muslims and people from the ... Read More
Only American Christianity Will Survive
Monday December 20, 2004
Christianity in America is vital, powerful, and constantly renewing itself. Christianity in Europe appears to be moribund and faltering. What's the cause of these differences? Why is America so much ... Read More
Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?
Sunday December 19, 2004
For over a hundred years Christmas has been transforming from a religious to a secular holiday. Pagan elements always abounded but they have gained new importance alongside many secular aspects. ... Read More
AmeriCorps Cannot Fund Catholic School Programs
Sunday December 19, 2004
The AmeriCorp program, funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, has been ordered to stop funding programs that pay for volunteers in Catholic schools. Accoding to the judge, ... Read More
This Date in History: Hans Küng Censured
Sunday December 19, 2004
December 19, 1979: The Vatican's Congregation for the Faith rescinded the authority of University of Tübingen theologian Hans Küng, preventing him from teaching theology at any Catholic institution. This action ... Read More
Australia: Axe Attack on Atheists
Sunday December 19, 2004
On November 18, 2001, Ashley John Appoo killed John Leslie McDonald and seriously injured his wife, Alois McDonald, in Brisbane. Why? Because he discovered that they were atheists. Yes, being ... Read More
Blogsnark: Democrats vs. God
Sunday December 19, 2004
There is a common conceit among religious Republicans that because liberals and Democrats disagree with them over certain religious doctrines and what role the state should have in religious matters, ... Read More
Gay Marriage Supporters Deny Authority of God
Sunday December 19, 2004
Religious conservatives have been reacting to Canada's decision to authorize gay marriages - and they aren't happy. Their predictable complaints generally center around the fact that allowing gay marriages separates ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Tolstoy on Freethought
Sunday December 19, 2004
Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of ... Read More
Inbred Racist Mormons?
Saturday December 18, 2004
Many conservatives have been complaining about Democrat Harry Reid's negative comments about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. According to one, columnist Mychal Massie, Reid's views are to be expected from ... Read More
God Endorses Moe's
Saturday December 18, 2004
In Orlando, Florida, Moe's Southwest Grill has erected a billboard suggesting that God endorses them. The white text ("Welcome to Moe's! - God") on a black field echoes those "inspirational" ... Read More
This Date in History: Johann Gottfried von Herder
Saturday December 18, 2004
December 18, 1803: German philosopher Johann Gottfried von Herder died in Weimar, Germany. Herder was an important influence on the German literary movement known as Sturm und Drang and on ... Read More
France: Church/State Separation Cuts Both Ways
Saturday December 18, 2004
France's decision to ban headscarves in schools doesn't just affect Muslims. The policy is worded broadly so as not to appear to single Muslims out for discrimination, which means that ... Read More
Blogsnark: Atheists for Teaching Intelligent Design in Science Classes?
Saturday December 18, 2004
Can an atheist believe that it is appropriate to teach the religious beliefs of "Intelligent" Design in public school science classes? I wouldn't have thought so, but I would have ... Read More
Mormon Author Disciplined for Questioning Church's Origins
Saturday December 18, 2004
Grant Palmer is a Mormon author who has been suspended from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He could have been excommunicated but they stopped short of this ... Read More
No Atheists in Foxholes?
Saturday December 18, 2004
When I last wrote about the claim that there are no atheists in foxholes, that time from Navy Chaplain McAlexander, I received a response from a veteran who knows all ... Read More
When is a Philosopher Not a Philosopher?
Friday December 17, 2004
Differentiating good philosophy from poor philosophy can be difficult, but it's a bit easier to differentiate between a person who doing a good job at being a philosopher and one ... Read More
Newsletter 12-17-04
Friday December 17, 2004
Welcome to issue #6.50 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we have an extended analysis of the meaning, history, and implications of each of ... Read More
California School & Declaration of Independence: The Truth
Friday December 17, 2004
When I first wrote about claims that the Declaration of Independence had been "banned" in a California school, I pointed out that the truth would probably be radically different than ... Read More
This Date in History: Inquisition Established
Friday December 17, 2004
December 17, 1526: With the decree Cum ad zero, Pope Clement VIII established the Inquisition.
Religion in the Public Arena
Friday December 17, 2004
One of the more dishonest tactics used by those who want the state to support their religion is to complain about how their beliefs are excluded from the "public arena." ... Read More
Pro-War Christians
Friday December 17, 2004
There are complaints about how some Muslims proclaim Islam as a "religion of peace" even as so many other Muslims advocate war and violence. But what about Christianity? Jesus was ... Read More
Illinois: Controversy in Methodist Church over Mary Statue
Friday December 17, 2004
Roman Catholics often pray to and venerate the Virgin Mary; Protestants do not. Why, then, did the Amor de Dios United Methodist Church in Little Village, Illinois, introduce a "Virgin ... Read More
Assessing Justice Clarence Thomas
Thursday December 16, 2004
Senator Reid's criticisms of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have received a lot of negative press, especially from conservatives. The question is, were his criticisms justified? Did he have a ... Read More
Pennsylvania: Board Member Pressured To Support Intelligent Design
Thursday December 16, 2004
Angie Yingling used to be on the School Board in Dover, Pennsylvania. She was one of the board members who voted to approve teaching "Intelligent" Design to the poor students ... Read More
This Date in History: Oliver Cromwell
Thursday December 16, 2004
December 16, 1653: Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Culture Wars Continue
Thursday December 16, 2004
Religious conservatives continue to be incensed that liberals have the gall to criticize their religious dogmas, not to mention their attempts to use those dogmas as the basis for American ... Read More
Theo-Cons in Europe
Thursday December 16, 2004
Religious conservatives in Europe are beginning to take lessons form religious conservatives in America. Europe is becoming increasingly secular but there are a lot of religious believers who find this ... Read More
Does it Matter if Zoroastrianism Dies Off?
Thursday December 16, 2004
Zoroastrianism has had a significant impact on the major western religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Much that is part of those religions would be unthinkable without the prior influence ... Read More
Christian School Uses Slavery Apologetics
Thursday December 16, 2004
Original Image:National Archives
The Cary Christian School in North Carolina has been teaching students from a booklet that portrays slavery as "a life of plenty, of simple pleasures." The booklet was ... Read More
New: Book Reviews: Books from Oxford University Press
Wednesday December 15, 2004
Just added is a page listing reviews of books published by Oxford University Press. Oxford University Press publishes some of the most interesting and informative books currently being written on ... Read More
Britain: Muslim Fathers Sell Daughters For Arranged Marriages
Wednesday December 15, 2004
In Britain, many women in immigrant families from Southeast Asia are suffering - their families are forcing them into marriages with Muslim men who treat them abhorrently. Physical abuse, psychological ... Read More
Antony Flew, Atheism, and Theism
Wednesday December 15, 2004
A lot of people have been writing about Antony Flew's apparent conversion from atheism to theism, but everyone is focusing far more on who Flew is rather than on why ... Read More
Racism Not All That Reprehensible?
Wednesday December 15, 2004
You may have heard about the recent flap over Sam Francis' column where he railed against the immorality of interracial relationships. Francis' columns are carried by Creators Syndicate and, apparently, ... Read More
Newsletter 12-15-04
Wednesday December 15, 2004
News items from the past week include the nascent gay Muslim movement, a rebuttal to the claim that "hate crimes" provisions are attempts to criminalize thoughts or beliefs, defenders of ... Read More
Massachusetts Churches Oppose Being Treated Fairly
Wednesday December 15, 2004
Non-profit organizations in Massachusetts have to release their financial records to the public. Churches are exempt from this provision and attempts to force them to toe the line with everyone ... Read More
This Date in History: Lisa McPherson & Scientology
Wednesday December 15, 2004
December 15, 1997: After an investigation of nearly two years, the Clearwater Police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement finish and recommend that criminal charges be filed against the ... Read More
Judge's Robes Display Ten Commandments
Wednesday December 15, 2004
Presiding Circuit Court Judge Ashley McKathan in Covington County, Alabama, has begun appearing in his court wearing a robe embroidered with the Ten Commandments. He did it with his own ... Read More
Pakistan: Child Abuse At Madrassas
Wednesday December 15, 2004
Clerics in Pakistani Madrassas are being accused of sexual abuse of male children. Their response is to issue death threats against the the minister responsible for revealing the allegations.
The BBC ... Read More
Colorado: Stand on Pledge Spurs Recall Effort
Wednesday December 15, 2004
I've written before about how the Estes Park Town Board in Colorado has been opening meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance and how one member has refused to stand or ... Read More
Creepy Solutions to Stem-Cell Debate
Tuesday December 14, 2004
People object to stem-cell research because they sincerely believe that destroying an embryo in order to harvest its stem cells is tantamount to murder. People are working on ways to ... Read More
Economic Fascism
Tuesday December 14, 2004
Many feel that any suggestion that America is or is moving towards a type of fascism is overblown rhetoric. Most, however, don't really understand what fascism is. They think that ... Read More
Vatican Campaigning for 'Christophobia'
Tuesday December 14, 2004
In what appears to be an effort not to fall behind in the victimization arms race, Vatican leaders are trying to push for international adoption of the term "Christophobia," an ... Read More
Bush Monkey Exhibition Closed
Tuesday December 14, 2004
President George W. Bush has often by compared to a primate by certain critics, but a recent and popular juxtaposition of Bush's image with monkeys has been closed down in ... Read More
This Date in History: William James
Tuesday December 14, 2004
December 14, 1891: William James published his book Psychology: Briefer Course. This was used as a basic university text for decades and is still on many reading lists of classic ... Read More
Southern Baptists Shunning Public Schools
Tuesday December 14, 2004
Recent calls for the Southern Baptist Convention to have all Southern Baptists start pulling their kids out of public schools didn't succeed. The movement hasn't died, however, and individuals appear ... Read More
ACLU Suing Over Intelligent Design
Tuesday December 14, 2004
I've written before about the misguided decision to teach "Intelligent" Design in Dover, Pennsylvania. The ACLU has announced a lawsuit against the school district to challenge their authority to teach ... Read More
Canada: Sailors Can Keep Hats On During Prayer
Tuesday December 14, 2004
Until now, Canadian sailors all had to take off their hats during prayers, even if they didn't believe in or accept those prayers. The Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada ... Read More
Law & Economics
Monday December 13, 2004
There is an established school of thought in the law today that treats the law as if it were a subset of economics. Legal decisions should be guided by cost/benefit ... Read More
Newsletter 12-13-04
Monday December 13, 2004
Welcome to a supplemental edition of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. News items from the past week include the claim that the world needs more self-righteous ... Read More
This Date in History: Raelians
Monday December 13, 2004
December 13, 1973: According to Claude Vorilhon, 4-foot-tall, dark-haired, olive-skinned extraterrestrials calling themselves the Elohim appeared to him at a volcano in France and informed him they had created human ... Read More
Loss of Freedom in America?
Monday December 13, 2004
Many conservative evangelicals lament the loss of the "freedom" in modern America. Those "freedoms" were, though, actually privileges that were unjustifiably bestowed upon them by the state. It's rather like ... Read More
Kierkegaard, God, and Atheism
Monday December 13, 2004
Conservative evangelical Christians seem to be generally unfamiliar with the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard. This is unfortunate because he pioneered many of the themes important to them: the central importance ... Read More
Wisconsin: Policy on Teaching Creationism Clarified
Monday December 13, 2004
The Grantsburg school district in Wisconsin recently adopted new science standards that many feared would lead to teaching "Intelligent" Design and/or creationism in the schools. Mindful of this, the school ... Read More
Secularization & American Religion
Sunday December 12, 2004
Religious conservatives often complain about the secularization of America. It is true that the government is secular, but that's the way it is supposed to be. The rest of society ... Read More
Republicans Shouldn't Employ Gays?
Sunday December 12, 2004
The Christian Right's war on gays continues as the call goes out for Republican politicians to stop hiring or employing gays. Apparently being gay is so contrary to Republican principles ... Read More
This Date in History: Sunday Laws
Sunday December 12, 2004
December 12, 1712: The colony of South Carolina passed a "Sunday Law" which required everyone to attend church each Sunday and to refrain from both skilled labor and traveling by ... Read More
O'Reilly to Jews: If You're Offended, Go To Israel
Sunday December 12, 2004
In the past, Protestant domination of American culture tended to make religious minorities feel like outsiders. For example, the presence of overt Christianity in public schools (organized prayers, Bible readings) ... Read More
Pakistan Passes Honor Killing Law
Sunday December 12, 2004
A problem that plagues South-Asian nations like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is a concept of "honor" that keeps women secluded and validates the murder of female relatives if they besmirch ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Boudreaux on Facts and Faith
Sunday December 12, 2004
A belief that is founded upon a compelling theory and that is consistently supported by plenty of empirical evidence is not properly described as "faith." As I understand the meaning ... Read More
Godless Communists
Saturday December 11, 2004
Communism was supposedly defeated with the fall of the Soviet Union, but for some conservatives the loss of the "godless communist" boogeyman is simply too much to bear. Instead of ... Read More
Sweet Little Prairie Muffins
Saturday December 11, 2004
Would you like to be a Prairie Muffin? You can, if you are a woman who is willing to have just as many kids as you possible through your life ... Read More
This Date in History: Kingdom of Jerusalem
Saturday December 11, 2004
December 11, 1100: Baldwin of Boulogne (also Baldwin of Edessa) is crowned King of Jerusalem (Baldwin I). The position is grander in name than in practice. The "kingdom" is divided ... Read More
Macho Jesus?
Saturday December 11, 2004
One of the more interesting trends in conservative Christianity in America today is the attempt by some to construct a more "macho" and "manly" version of Jesus. It seems that ... Read More
Real True Christians?
Saturday December 11, 2004
Can a "real" Christian support religious tolerance and diversity? If you listened to the Christians most often heard in the media, one might think "no." There are, however, Christians who ... Read More
Faith of Unbelievers?
Saturday December 11, 2004
As Christmas becomes more and more secularized, conservative evangelicals grow more and more defensive. After all, Christmas is supposed to be "their" holiday and every time they see a secular ... Read More
What Makes America a 'Christian' Nation?
Friday December 10, 2004
There are many who claim that America is a "Christian Nation," but what exactly makes America so "Christian"? Something about America's social policies? Something about America's international policies? In reality ... Read More
Canada: Gay Marriage Approved
Friday December 10, 2004
The Canadian Supreme Court has, as expected, given the government approval to recognize same-sex marriages on an equal basis with heterosexual unions. Religious officials won't be forced to perform the ... Read More
Social Conservatism vs. Economic Conservatism
Friday December 10, 2004
One thing that many conservatives seem unaware of is the presence of a very serious tension between social and economic conservatism. Social conservatism involves opposing radical social changes that alter ... Read More
Excess Verbiage: Flaws in Reasoning and Arguments
Friday December 10, 2004
This less a flaw in the reasoning process than a flaw in the argument or deliberation process. Just because too many words have been expended on explaining an idea or ... Read More
Newsletter 12-10-04
Friday December 10, 2004
This week we'll take a look at the Ten Commandments: what are they and what do they really mean? We also have a review of a very good book on ... Read More
Colorado: Charter School Accused of Religious Harassment
Friday December 10, 2004
Peak to Peak, a charter school in the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado, has been accused of allowing children to be religiously harassed. Three families thus far have come ... Read More
Israel: Same-Sex Couples Covered by Common Law
Friday December 10, 2004
The Israeli government will allow same-sex couples to be covered by statutes that regulate common-law marriages. This isn't quite the same as same-sex marriage, but it does provide a level ... Read More
This Date in History: Book Burning
Friday December 10, 2004
December 10, 1520: Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchthon burned books which supported the authority of the pope along with a recent papal bull threatening excommunication for Luther. Luther was actually ... Read More
Single Group Dominates FCC Complaints
Friday December 10, 2004
People may be aware of the FCC getting complaints about "indecency" on television or radio, but what most probably aren't aware of is the fact that nearly all of these ... Read More
New: Roy Moore: Ten Commandments & the Law in Alabama, America
Friday December 10, 2004
A new page organizing articles about Roy Moore, his Ten Commandments monument in Alabama, and his various court battles has just been added. Roy Moore is a celebrity for the ... Read More
New: Ten Commandments & Law: Social, Political, and Legal Issues
Friday December 10, 2004
A new page organizing the various political, legal, and social debates over the Ten Commandments has just been added. The Ten Commandants are first and foremost a religious document, describing ... Read More
Fears for European Muslim Women Who Speak Out
Friday December 10, 2004
Islam is not very kind towards women, especially when compared to the rights and freedoms women in the secular West have. Unfortunately, even Muslim women in the secular West experience ... Read More
New: Ten Commandments: Religious Issues, Religious Debates
Friday December 10, 2004
A new page organizing articles on religious beliefs, debates, and disagreements about the Ten Commandments has just been added. Because the Ten Commandments establish a covenant between the Jews and ... Read More
New: Analysis of the Ten Commandments: Background, Meaning, Implications of Each Commandment
Friday December 10, 2004
A new page organizing articles that analyze the meaning, background, and implications of the Ten Commandments has just been added. Most people know the Ten Commandments - or perhaps it ... Read More
New: User Polls: Vote in Polls on Religion, Politics, Ethics, Atheism, and More
Friday December 10, 2004
A new page organizing all of the user polls on this site has just been added. Here you can vote in some of the dozens of polls dealing with: separation ... Read More
New: Women and Religion: News on Women, Sexism, and Feminism in Religion
Friday December 10, 200