Alabama: Banning Gay Books, Plays
Saturday April 30, 2005
In Alabama, Republican lawmaker Gerald Allen says that homosexuality is so awful that the state should refuse even indirect funding for any book or play that depicts homosexuality in a ... Read More
What is a Woman?
Saturday April 30, 2005
Much of the social agenda of the Christian Right turns on particular ideas about what men & women are and what sorts of social roles they are expected to have. ... Read More
Virginia: Court Sides with Gay Adoptive Parents
Saturday April 30, 2005
Virginia will issue new birth certificates to parents who adopt a child, but the government tried to avoid doing this when it came to gay couples adopting children. The Virginia ... Read More
Power, Democracy, and Politics in South Africa
Saturday April 30, 2005
Many people have criticized America's Republican Party for abuses of power and a refusal to work sincerely with Democrats. Curiously, something similar has been occurring in South Africa where the ... Read More
Paying Protection to the Christian Fedayeen
Saturday April 30, 2005
Have you noticed how the media, even the so-called "liberal media," has been giving more fawning attention to the Christian Right lately? There's a reason: the government has been threatening ... Read More
This Date in History: Under God
Saturday April 30, 2005
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
Heritage Foundation Sells Out to anti-Semites
Saturday April 30, 2005
The Heritage Foundation is one of the most prominent and influential Christian Right organizations in America. It has also apparently sold out to the anti-Semitic regime of Malaysia. They used ... Read More
Kerry Blasts GOP 'Holier Than Thou' Attitude
Saturday April 30, 2005
John Kerry recently attacked Republican efforts to portray themselves as the only political party that represents the interests of religious people. Why would the GOP try to identify itself as ... Read More
Christian Right's Kulturkampf: Where It's Going
Friday April 29, 2005
First they came for the gays, but I wasn't gay and so did nothing. Then they came for the people in a persistent vegetative state, but I wasn't in a ... Read More
Idaho: Unconstitutional Favoritism
Friday April 29, 2005
The Idaho Atheists reserved use of the Statehouse steps on May 5. The government decided to kick them out, though, because that's the National Day of Prayer and on that ... Read More
Ban on Blasphemous Stamps
Friday April 29, 2005
Remember the deal where you could upload your own images and have stamps made of them? The idea was that people would use pictures of family, but some started using ... Read More
Why Does the Christian Right Complain about the Judiciary?
Friday April 29, 2005
It seems strange to some that the Christian Right would make such a big deal about the judiciary. The current court system is more in line with them than every ... Read More
Thank God for Violence Against Atheists
Friday April 29, 2005
It's not often that Christians openly praise violence against atheists, but sometimes a few of them show their true colors. A story has been going around the internet recently describing ... Read More
Newsletter 04-29-05
Friday April 29, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.17 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at Texas spending money to make a church in El ... Read More
American Legion Defends 'Moral Values' of Bigotry, Prejudice
Friday April 29, 2005
Keeping with recent tradition, the American Legion continues to defend not only the bigotry of the Boy Scouts of America, but also the ability of the government to support that ... Read More
This Date in History: French Freethought
Friday April 29, 2005
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
Christian Right's War on Judges
Friday April 29, 2005
The Christian Right has been steadily stepping up its rhetoric against judges — not just "liberal" judges, but also conservative judges who don't rule the "right" way. The Christian Right ... Read More
Onward, Christian Druggists: Nature of Conscientious Objection
Friday April 29, 2005
The Christian Right has insisted on using the concept of "conscientious objector" to describe pharmacists who refuse dispense legal prescriptions on moral grounds. I'm not sure, however, if they really ... Read More
Alaska: Christian College Sued Over Funding
Thursday April 28, 2005
Earlier this year I wrote about how the Alaska Christian College was receiving more than USD $1 million despite the small size and religious orientation of the place. Now they ... Read More
Wisconsin: Living Wills a Mortal Sin?
Thursday April 28, 2005
Robert Morlino, Bishop of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin, has told Catholics under his leadership that living wills are a mortal sin if they include provisions that call for withholding ... Read More
Virginia: ACLU Petitions Court on Behalf of Witch
Thursday April 28, 2005
As was expected, the ACLU is appealing the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that it's "not advancing any one faith" when the government insists on prayers made to a ... Read More
Scientific Integrity vs. Religious Faith
Thursday April 28, 2005
The Templeton Prize is given each year to a scientist who has been active in trying to merge science and religion. The Templeton Foundation exists to try to convince people ... Read More
Defense of Filibusters in the Senate
Thursday April 28, 2005
"The Senate is not a majoritarian institution, like the House of Representatives is. It is a deliberative body, and it's got a number of checks and balances built into our ... Read More
Coercing Faith in Class
Thursday April 28, 2005
References to religion and religious history are allowed in public schools, but the promotion of religion and religious proselytizing are not allowed. The Christian Right acts like bans on the ... Read More
Saudi Judge Encourages Jihad in Iraq
Thursday April 28, 2005
Sheik Saleh Al Luhaidan is chief justice on the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia. People listen to what he says, and what he's been saying is that people should ... Read More
More Public School Proselytizing
Thursday April 28, 2005
I earlier commented on problems involved with public school libraries having proselytizing books. Eric Muller, involved in the case, has since posted more information that makes it look much more ... Read More
Christians Attack Christian Judges
Thursday April 28, 2005
Christian extremists who have been attacking America's judges attempt to portray the judiciary as atheistic, but the truth is that the people they are attacking are mostly Christian. In America, ... Read More
This Date in History: Saddam Hussein
Thursday April 28, 2005
April 28, 1937: Saddam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq, was born.
Iowa: Church Split Over Transgender Couple
Thursday April 28, 2005
In Charles City, Iowa, a couple married for 40 years has been asked to leave. The reason? Renee Usher used to be Michael Ussher before having a sex change 10 ... Read More
Secularism as a Sin
Thursday April 28, 2005
Conservative Catholics are among the most vociferous opponents of modern secularism. This has always been the case and Catholic traditionalists have attacked the secular state for as long as it ... Read More
Confusing Christianity with the Christian Right
Wednesday April 27, 2005
One of the tactics used by the Christian Right to defend their extremist position is to accuse critics of not simply attacking them, but also of attacking Christianity, God, Jesus, ... Read More
Life in Our Anti-Christian America
Wednesday April 27, 2005
There is a document called "Life in Our Anti-Christian America" that is a parody of how America has become anti-Christian. It lists all of the awful things that have happened ... Read More
Religion vs. Drug Laws
Wednesday April 27, 2005
The Christian Right likes to portray itself as persecuted in America, but the Bush administration is trying to get the Supreme Court to rule against a minority religion's use of ... Read More
Bush Policies Aid Islamic Extremism?
Wednesday April 27, 2005
President George W. Bush has invested a considerable amount of America's resources and reputation on combatting Islamic extremism, but to what degree have his policies had the opposite effect? It ... Read More
Texas: Government Pays to Refurbish Church
Wednesday April 27, 2005
In El Paso, the government is paying for a large refurbishing project on a 113-year-old Catholic church. Nothing structural is being done - the USD $75,000 is being paid to ... Read More
Intellectual Honesty on the Filibuster Question
Wednesday April 27, 2005
One interesting facet of the Republican efforts to eliminate filibusters against judicial nominees is just how narrow their goal is. They aren't looking to end the filibuster against legislation or ... Read More
This Date in History: Inquisition
Wednesday April 27, 2005
April 27, 1260: Pope Alexander IV authorizes inquisitors to absolve one another of irregularities in the pursuit of their duties. Pope Urban IV would renew this on in 1262 and ... Read More
Newsletter 04-27-05
Wednesday April 27, 2005
News items from the past week include a rude question - but a valid question, given his legal philosophy, whether the Catholic church has a future, whether atheism is incompatible ... Read More
Texas: Homophobic Parents Support Firing of Lesbian Coach
Wednesday April 27, 2005
In Bloomberg, Texas, a female coach at the school was fired. The school board says that it really wasn't because she was a lesbian, but that rings hollow in light ... Read More
New York: Council to Keep Boy Scout Troop
Wednesday April 27, 2005
The Village of Castleton in New York charters a Boy Scout troop and has been told that this opens them to a lawsuit because they shouldn't be sponsoring a group ... Read More
Justice Janice Rogers Brown on 'Atheistic Humanism'
Wednesday April 27, 2005
Janice Rogers Brown is a justice on the California Supreme Court and one of the 10 candidates to the federal judiciary which the Democrats have filibustered because of her extremism. ... Read More
Religious Messianism in Marx
Tuesday April 26, 2005
Many Christians today absolutely hate Karl Marx and his ideas — there are few, if any, historical figures who have become the objects of so much vitriol. Marx's connections to ... Read More
How to Rig a Drug Trial
Tuesday April 26, 2005
More and more, it's becoming evident that drug trials conducted by drug companies tend to return favorable results for the drugs being tested... more favorable than similar trials done by ... Read More
Blogsnark: Secularism vs. Atheism
Tuesday April 26, 2005
More and more I've been seeing the Christian Right falsely equate secularism with atheism. It's only to be expected that few atheists won't also be secularists, but there is no ... Read More
Philosopher: Biographies of Famous Philosophers
Tuesday April 26, 2005
The history of philosophy is very much the history of individual philosophers: their ideas, their arguments, and the conversations they have had across time and cultures. A solid understanding of ... Read More
Religious Freedom in Canada
Tuesday April 26, 2005
The legalization of same-sex marriage means that gay couples will have to be treated the same as straight couples. People who provide wedding services (florists, caterers, halls) won't be able ... Read More
Christian Dominionism in Mississippi
Tuesday April 26, 2005
Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi has signed into law a measure that authorizes state officials to post the Ten Commandments, excerpts from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and the phrase ... Read More
This Date in History: Ludwig Wittgenstein
Tuesday April 26, 2005
April 26, 1889: German philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was born in Vienna, Austria.
Iraq: Islamic Militias Patrolling Basra
Tuesday April 26, 2005
Islamic extremism is increasing in Iraq. The most prominent example of this may be in Basra. The city used to have casinos and bars; today militants have shut all that ... Read More
Unactivist Judges Strike Back
Tuesday April 26, 2005
The Christian Right today complains loudly and often about "activist" judges, a label which has become obvious as nothing more than an epithet aimed at any judge who doesn't rule ... Read More
Cultural Irrelevance of Fundamentalism & Dispensationalism
Monday April 25, 2005
Religious fundamentalists express a great deal of outrage over the fact that the rest of American society doesn't follow them and their religious doctrines. They wield a tremendous amount of ... Read More
Whither Secularism?
Monday April 25, 2005
More and more, it seems as though secularism in America is being hollowed out, becoming little more than a shell that people pay lip service to (at most) but no ... Read More
U.S. Founded on Christianity?
Monday April 25, 2005
Many Christians believe that their religion was the basis for the founding of America and, therefore, that American government should promote their religion. Even if the premise were correct it ... Read More
Vatican Condemns Gay Marriage in Spain
Monday April 25, 2005
A recent bill would allow gays in Spain to marry and adopt children - in fact, Spain could become the first European country to do this. The Vatican is not ... Read More
Religious Faith & Judicial Nominations
Monday April 25, 2005
Republicans have accused Democrats of blocking certain judicial nominations because the judges are "people of faith" and the Democrats are religious bigots. There is no merit to this accusation, though, ... Read More
This Date in History: Liberalized Abortion Laws
Monday April 25, 2005
April 25, 1967: Governor John A. Love of Colorado signed the first liberalized abortion law (based upon a model created by the American Law Institute) in the United States, allowing ... Read More
Will the Media Lie About Frist?
Monday April 25, 2005
The term "nuclear option," used to describe the elimination of the Senate filibuster when it comes to judicial nominations, was coined by Republicans. It must not be polling very well ... Read More
Newsletter 04-25-05
Monday April 25, 2005
News items from the past week include the nature of the Christian Right's assault on evolution, conservatives trying to promote intolerance of gays, Christian intolerance of atheists, and more.
7th Commandment: ... Read More
Philosopher: Aristotle Biography & Profile
Monday April 25, 2005
Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher whose work has been extremely important to the development of both western philosophy and western theology. It has traditionally been thought that Aristotle started ... Read More
Blogsnark: Imposing Atheism?
Monday April 25, 2005
Many Christians believe that when the government fails to endorse or promote their religion, then the government is therefore promoting atheism. That's about as logical as saying that a failure ... Read More
Harmony, Democracy, and the Bush Administration
Sunday April 24, 2005
A common complaint made about the Bush administration is that it often acts ways designed to exclude from the political process anyone who doesn't toe the line and agree with ... Read More
Dobson's Jihad Against the Judiciary
Sunday April 24, 2005
Why is the Christian Right fighting so hard against the ability of Senators to filibuster judicial nominees? Republicans have used the filibuster in this way more than once and the ... Read More
Assault on Judicial Independence, Then & Now
Sunday April 24, 2005
Efforts to eliminate judicial independence have a long and sordid history. It's unfortunate that so few people are familiar with that history, but perhaps a few choice quotes will help ... Read More
Colorado: Counselor Changes Pledge of Allegiance Words
Sunday April 24, 2005
There is a big flap in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, because a counselor leading the Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom replaced "one nation under God" with "one nation under your ... Read More
Michigan: Teachers Sue to Teach Creationism
Sunday April 24, 2005
Gull Lake Community Schools in Michigan is refusing to allow two middle school science teachers to include "Intelligent" Design in biology lessons. The Thomas More Law Center says that it ... Read More
Christians Under Attack... By Christians
Sunday April 24, 2005
In the "Justice Sunday" program, a major theme that the Christian Right emphasizes is that Christians are under being attacked in America. They are correct - but what they aren't ... Read More
Straight Sex Good, Gay Sex Bad?
Sunday April 24, 2005
Pope John Paul II wrote quite a few things about sex and sexuality. What's interesting about people's reactions to these writings is that they tended to ignore his pronouncements regarding ... Read More
Same-Sex Marriage, Full Faith & Credit
Sunday April 24, 2005
One of the concerns of religious conservatives is that the legalization of gay marriage in one state will mean that other states will be forced to recognize the validity of ... Read More
This Date in History: Scopes Monkey Trial
Sunday April 24, 2005
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
Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline
Sunday April 24, 2005
In Kansas, Attorney General Phill Kline is pushing a radical religious agenda against gays, against abortion, and against secularism. He literally preaches from pulpits to promote his religious agenda and ... Read More
Morality Without Religion
Sunday April 24, 2005
Many theists argue that without belief in their god, it isn't possible for someone to be moral. Why is the simple experience of being human and living with other human ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Jonathan Z. Smith on the Definition of Religion
Sunday April 24, 2005
...while there is a staggering amount of data, phenomena, of human experiences and expressions that might be characterized in one culture or another, by one criterion or another, as religion ... Read More
Bias and Bigotry at Air Force Academy
Saturday April 23, 2005
I've written before about the extensive religious bias and discrimination that has been occurring at the Air Force Academy. Things haven't changed much, but more people have been taking notice.
The ... Read More
Protest Signs for the Religious Right
Saturday April 23, 2005
Religious conservatives may control or at least influence most of the levers of power in society, but they still find plenty of things to protest because society refuses to conform ... Read More
Church Leaders Criticize Frist's Religious Politics
Saturday April 23, 2005
The increasingly blatant efforts of Republicans to politicize religion and use religion for their political agenda is beginning to annoy religious leaders - at least, religious leaders who aren't part ... Read More
Philosopher: Socrates Biography & Profile
Saturday April 23, 2005
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who became very influential in the development of Greek philosophy and, thus, Western philosophy in general. The most extensive knowledge we have of him ... Read More
No Separation of God & State
Saturday April 23, 2005
Christian and Muslim extremists share a lot in common. Their religious systems may be quite different, but they share a desire to ensure that their religion dominates society. They have ... Read More
Sick and Tired of Secularism
Saturday April 23, 2005
The Christian Right in America has been attacking secularism for some time now because a secular state stands in their way of imposing their religion on everyone. Similar attacks are ... Read More
This Date in History: Sexual Abuse Crisis
Saturday April 23, 2005
April 23, 2002: Over the course of 48 hours, the American cardinals met with Pope John Paul II and other Vatican officials to discuss the scandal of priests who had ... Read More
Being an Atheist
Saturday April 23, 2005
One experience that many atheists have is the bewilderment of theists over how a person can be moral and good without believing in a god. Their attitude seems to be ... Read More
Economics of Human Evolution
Saturday April 23, 2005
Neanderthals were the dominant hominid species for 200,000 years; 10,000 years after homo sapiens arrived, Neanderthals disappeared. Why? Many different explanations have been offered but the newest may have a ... Read More
Fundamentalism Betrays the Bible?
Friday April 22, 2005
Fundamentalists proclaim themselves to be the True Defenders of True Christianity. They are adamant that they and only they have a correct understanding of what Christianity is. Some argue, though, ... Read More
Philosopher: Rene Descartes Biography & Profile
Friday April 22, 2005
Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who is widely regarded as the 'founder' of the modern age of philosophy because he challenged and questioned all of the traditional systems of ... Read More
Theocons Against Living Wills
Friday April 22, 2005
Theocratic conservatives are continuing to push their idea of a state that makes medical and ethical decisions for citizens on the basis of some people's theological dogmas, even if those ... Read More
Newsletter 04-22-04
Friday April 22, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.16 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at the life of the newly elected pope, the agenda ... Read More
Atheist's Wager
Friday April 22, 2005
Many Christians attempt to persuade atheists to change by using Pascal's Wager (though many don't use that label and seem unaware of its origin). They argue that it's "safer" to ... Read More
This Date in History: "In God We Trust"
Friday April 22, 2005
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.
Microsoft Caves to Christian Right, Abandons Gays
Friday April 22, 2005
Apparently out of fear of a boycott from the Christian Right, Microsoft has withdrawn its support from a bill in Washington state that would extend protections against discrimination in banking, ... Read More
Reconsidering Islam in the Netherlands
Friday April 22, 2005
The Netherlands welcomed Muslim immigrants with open arms (generally). Those immigrants have become part of one of the most liberal, tolerant societies of Europe. Unfortunately, many have repaid that very ... Read More
Should Government Agencies Honor the Pope?
Thursday April 21, 2005
Many government agencies in America marked the death of Pope John Paul II by flying their flags at half-staff. A few didn't and this has attracted harsh criticism - none ... Read More
Ecourse: Humanism 101
Thursday April 21, 2005
In this century, humanism has come to refer to a philosophy that rejects traditional religious dogmas and usually theism itself. Although it is possible to be both a theist and ... Read More
Judaism Leads to Hostility towards Christianity? Criminality?
Thursday April 21, 2005
Christianity has a very poor record when it comes to treating Jews with respect. Things have improved in America in the past few decades, but every so often someone says ... Read More
Humanistic Buddhism Growing in Brazil
Thursday April 21, 2005
Brazil is the world's most populous Catholic nation. Brazil has one of the fastest growing Pentecostal populations in the world. So, what's going on that Buddhism is growing in Brazil ... Read More
This Date in History: Maryland Toleration Act
Thursday April 21, 2005
April 21, 1649: The Maryland Assembly passed the Toleration Act, providing protection to Roman Catholics against Protestant harassment and discrimination, a problem which had been on the increase due to ... Read More
Yale Ends Church Affiliation
Thursday April 21, 2005
Yale University was founded in 1701 by Congregational ministers. The association was transferred to the United Church of Christ in 1961. Today the Yale chapel serves the local community almost ... Read More
Rational Choice & Consumer Decisions
Thursday April 21, 2005
There is a common assumption that people act, or at least tend to act, in a rational manner to most efficiently and fully realize their desires. This assumption plays an ... Read More
Main Stream Media's Old Auntie
Wednesday April 20, 2005
Many bloggers today criticize the "Mainstream Media" for being slow, for not doing enough work, and for generally failing their duty to the public. Well, there's one newspaper that should ... Read More
Britain: Muslims Protest Voting
Wednesday April 20, 2005
People may remember that some extremist clerics in Iraq condemned democracy as "godless" because it creates a government controlled by the will of the people rather than one controlled by ... Read More
Britain: Secular Schools Cause Problems
Wednesday April 20, 2005
British conservatives are hoping to expand the number of religious schools and part of their strategy appears to involve blasting secular schools as a source of social problems. Evidently, it's ... Read More
Alan Dershowitz on Torture in Israel
Wednesday April 20, 2005
Known for his support for the creation of "torture warrants" that would allow the state to torture suspects to get information, Alan Dershowitz recently claimed that the Public Committee Against ... Read More
Naturalism and Value
Wednesday April 20, 2005
Is it possible to have values within a wholly naturalistic system? Many religious theists argue that it's not - this is a common criticism they make of atheism. They say ... Read More
Does God Necessarily Exist?
Wednesday April 20, 2005
One popular argument for the existence of God says that God necessarily exists - it's simply not possible for God not to exist. Therefore, God exists. Sound convincing? No, it ... Read More
This Date in History: Protestants
Wednesday April 20, 2005
April 20, 1529: At the Second Diet of Speyer, the term "Protestant" was first used to describe to participants of the Reformation. The word was taken from the "Protestatio," a ... Read More
Holy Lands Curing People of their Religion
Wednesday April 20, 2005
Some who visit the Holy Land succumb to the Jerusalem Syndrome, an obsession with religion that causes them to believe they are religious figures themselves. Some who already live there, ... Read More
Newsletter 04-20-05
Wednesday April 20, 2005
News items from the past week include an analysis of the nature of religious authority, a Christian's ideas about how wives should be disciplined, criticisms of conservative defenses of marriage, ... Read More
Dominionists Seeking to Reclaim America
Wednesday April 20, 2005
Too few people in America are familiar with Christian Dominionism. The Dominionists believe that America should exist not for all citizens and not to promote values like liberty and justice. ... Read More
Ten Commandments Not Basis for American Law
Tuesday April 19, 2005
There are many Christians who try to argue that American law is based upon the Ten Commandments; therefore, posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings like courts is not only ... Read More
Atheism in Former Communist Countries
Tuesday April 19, 2005
There are many atheists in former communist countries, but some Christians seem to think that their atheism is irrelevant because it was once fostered by communist governments. Is this a ... Read More
Prayers for Austin Cline
Tuesday April 19, 2005
The last time I had a group of people praying for it, it was at Princeton University because I was starting a campus group for atheists and freethinkers. Now I ... Read More
Religious Objections to HPV vaccine
Tuesday April 19, 2005
What would happen if scientists could develop vaccines against sexually transmitted diseases which cause health problems or even death? One would think that anything which improves and saves lives would ... Read More
Conservatives Push Anti-Gay 'Day of Truth'
Tuesday April 19, 2005
The "Day of Silence" is a successful nationwide effort to educate people about the anti-gay bias that homosexuals have to endure every day of their lives. Religious conservatives are bothered ... Read More
Blogsnark: Rationalism, Atheism, and Rights
Tuesday April 19, 2005
A common criticism of atheism is that it fails to produce a basis for things like rights or morality. Consequently, being an atheist entails that a person has no justification ... Read More
No Atheists in Humvees?
Tuesday April 19, 2005
The old canard "there are no atheists on foxholes" is sincerely believed by many and may be getting an update: there are no atheists in Humvees. It's supposed to reflect ... Read More
This Date in History: Branch Davidians
Tuesday April 19, 2005
April 19, 1993: A new ATF assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, lead to a fire which killed 72-86 people, including Davidian leader David Koresh.
Religious Fascism at Yankee Stadium
Tuesday April 19, 2005
Tolerance of compulsory participation in religious ceremonies, particularly those which merge religion with patriotism, seems to be growing. At least that's the impression I get from the recent news that ... Read More
Argentina: Row Over Church & State
Tuesday April 19, 2005
A serious conflict has developed in Argentina between religious and political leaders. Army bishop Antonio Baseotto has been stripped of his military salary and barred from entering military installations; the ... Read More
Delaware: Christians Threaten Jews Over School Prayers
Monday April 18, 2005
In Delaware, Jews who have challenged the promotion of Christianity in school have received threats. The local Christian dominionists seem unaccustomed to being questioned and may be hoping that they ... Read More
Blogsnark: Why is the U.S. a Christian Nation?
Monday April 18, 2005
Many religious conservatives argue that America is a Christian Nation - but upon what do they base this claim? The only sensible argument would have to be that the nature ... Read More
Terri Schiavo Case: Conservatives vs. Liberals; Life vs. Law
Monday April 18, 2005
What does the Terri Schiavo case have to do with the election of George W. Bush? When Bush was originally elected, conservatives argued that not every vote in Florida should ... Read More
Blogsnark: Atheist [sic] Are Fools
Monday April 18, 2005
There are a lot of Christians out there who like to cite Psalms 14:1, which states: The fool says in his heart, "God does not exist." This allows them to ... Read More
Abortion Liberalization in Iran
Monday April 18, 2005
The Iranian parliament has approved a new law that would permit abortions during the first four months if the fetus shows signs of mental or physical handicaps. This law still ... Read More
This Date in History: St. Peter's Basilica
Monday April 18, 2005
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
Hollywood Jews are Ruining the Nation?
Monday April 18, 2005
We can read regular complaints from the Christian Right about "cultural elites," but how many of those complaints are actually directed at Jews? We don't usually hear such complaints about ... Read More
Newsletter 04-18-05
Monday April 18, 2005
News items from the past week include a school board that wants literal, biblical creationism in schools, scientists who refuse to dignify creationist hearings with their presence, how Christians can ... Read More
Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Dutch Politics
Monday April 18, 2005
Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali has become famous for her opposition to Islamic extremism and her blunt criticisms of how Islam - even "moderate" Islam - traditionally treats women. This ... Read More
Which Pope is Which? Discrepancies in Papal Numbering
Monday April 18, 2005
People might assume that the numbering and listing of popes would be simple and obvious, but that isn’t always the case. There have been several names used multiple times over ... Read More
Pakistan: Extremists Attack Female Runners
Sunday April 17, 2005
Muslim extremists have struck again in Pakistan, this time attacking female runners who wanted to run a marathon with men. The women were dressed in heavy, concealing clothing rather than ... Read More
Catholicism vs. Islam
Sunday April 17, 2005
The Vatican has been having discussions with Muslim leaders for about 20 years now, but the talks have gotten nowhere and now Vatican leaders are reconsidering their relationship with Islam. ... Read More
Gaza: Virtue & Vice Commandos Murder Woman
Sunday April 17, 2005
Terrorist organization Hamas has a new "vice and virtue" commando going around and imposing their ideas of morality on people. It's already gotten one woman killed because she was out ... Read More
Canada: Teen Can't Refuse Blood Transfusion
Sunday April 17, 2005
A 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness in Canada is trying to keep doctors from giving her blood transfusions during her cancer treatment. She lost her latest court fight but she isn't giving ... Read More
Asking Scalia Indecent Questions
Sunday April 17, 2005
After a speech at NYU, a law student asked Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia whether he ever sodomizes his wife. That was a very rude question - but also relevant. ... Read More
Sacred Sites: Profiles of Temples, Churches, Mosques, and Sacred Sites
Sunday April 17, 2005
The world is filled with sacred sites - holy places that people believe or once believed to have religious significance to them and their culture. These sacred sites are varied ... Read More
Assault on Evolution is Assault on Truth
Sunday April 17, 2005
The Christian Right and their Republican allies have been waging a series of organized attacks on evolution in America. They do this because they believe that science contradicts their religious ... Read More
Blogsnark: Opening a Dialog Through Falsehoods
Sunday April 17, 2005
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts... and of Christians trying to "open dialogue" with atheists. Few of them even know what atheism is, but that doesn't stop them from making all ... Read More
This Date in History: Martin Luther Excommunicated
Sunday April 17, 2005
April 17, 1521: Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholic Pedophilia Crisis: Plot to Weaken Pope John Paul II
Sunday April 17, 2005
One might be forgiven for imagining that the sexual abuse crisis in America (and elsewhere) has been caused either by the priests who abuse children or the clerical culture that ... Read More
The Future of the Catholic Church
Sunday April 17, 2005
There are places in the world where the Catholic church is the only institution with real power and ability to get things done. It's the only institution that can make ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Thomas Paine on Theology & Christianity
Sunday April 17, 2005
The study of theology, as it stands in the Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no ... Read More
Saudi Arabia: Clerics Reject Secular Courts
Saturday April 16, 2005
Law in Saudi Arabia is religious law - there are no secular courts where a person can receive justice outside Islamic doctrine. People there don't believe that there is such ... Read More
Speaking Ill of a Dead Pope
Saturday April 16, 2005
Was Pope John Paul II a good person? That's what many think and people have been effusive in their praise for him; dissenting voices on the pope's policies are relatively ... Read More
Louisiana: Anti-Abortion Plates Coming
Saturday April 16, 2005
A federal appeals court has rejected a challenge to Louisiana's law creating anti-abortion license plates. The court didn't address any of the constitutional questions, though. It merely decided that the ... Read More
Ohio: God's License Plates
Saturday April 16, 2005
Soon the state of Ohio may start promoting theism because the state Senate has approved (unanimously) a measure to create special "One Nation Under God" specialty plates. The House still ... Read More
Psychological Analysis of Conservatism
Saturday April 16, 2005
The Bush administration has a history of suppressing research that reaches conclusions inconsistent with the GOP's political agenda or religious ideology. A recent example of this is particularly ironic: psychologists ... Read More
Discussion: Legally Starved to Death
Saturday April 16, 2005
Infidel wrote: It is very sad that we deal with our pets in a more humane manner than we deal with other humans. To starve someone to death instead of ... Read More
Blogsnark: Atheism is Not Possible
Saturday April 16, 2005
A common criticism of atheism is that it isn't "possible" to be an atheist. Instead of actually addressing arguments and criticisms offered by atheists about theism and religion, some prefer ... Read More
This Date in History: Excommunication in Louisiana
Saturday April 16, 2005
April 16, 1962: In Louisiana, Catholic archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel excommunicated three segregationists for refusing to integrate church schools.
Conceptualizing the Culture of Life
Saturday April 16, 2005
The "culture of life" ideology being promoted by the Christian Right is a cleverly packaged set of ideas which they hope to sell to the American public. This involves defining ... Read More
Questioning the Christian Right
Saturday April 16, 2005
Atheists and secularists have long regarded the Christian Right with a great deal of suspicion. We've read their writings and recognized that the America they want is not one compatible ... Read More
Sacred Sites: Oracle, Sacred Spring, and History of Delphi, Greece
Saturday April 16, 2005
Delphi is one of the most well-known spots in ancient Greece, made famous by the Delphic Oracle which was believed to have the power to tell the future. It was ... Read More
Blogsnark: Religious Freedom a Gift of the Majority? (updated)
Friday April 15, 2005
Do Americans' religious liberties come from and depend upon the good will of the majority of Christians? Some Christians certainly think so. There is an implicit message behind such a ... Read More
Morality, Religion, and the Courts
Friday April 15, 2005
We hear a lot of complaints from religious conservatives when courts don't rule the way they like. They argue that the courts are being "activists" and "making law," regardless of ... Read More
Ending the Filibuster: Democracy vs. Majority Rule
Friday April 15, 2005
Some people in America are confused between democracy and majority rule - they think the two are the same, but they aren't. Those seeking to end the ability of the ... Read More
Newsletter 04-15-05
Friday April 15, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.15 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at the Sistine Chapel, where the College of Cardinals meet ... Read More
Conscience Without Consequence
Friday April 15, 2005
Politicians want to protect the conscience of doctors who don't want to follow end-of-life directives or don't want to use treatments derived from stem-cell research. They also want to protect ... Read More
This Date in History: Excommunication in Nebraska
Friday April 15, 2005
April 15, 1996: Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, excommunicated all Catholics in his diocese who continued to belong to organizations which he deemed "perilous to the Catholic faith" ... Read More
Theists Having it Both Ways
Friday April 15, 2005
Many religious conservatives act as though atheism and humanism are necessarily religions, something that I've commented on more than once here. This isn't always the case, though - this argument ... Read More
Religion vs. Liberty in Afghanistan
Friday April 15, 2005
America is supposed to have "liberated" Afghanistan from the Taliban, but too few realize just how much in touch the Taliban could be with people. Taliban leaders may have taken ... Read More
Court Permits Religious Bigotry in Board Prayers
Friday April 15, 2005
I've written several times about Cynthia Simpson, the Wiccan priestess in Chesterfield County, Virginia, who was denied the opportunity to say an invocation prayer at Board of Supervisors meetings. Why? ... Read More
Sacred Sites: Temple, Religion, and History of Cape Sounion, Greece
Friday April 15, 2005
Located on the southeastern tip of Attica, Sounion juts out in a manner that would have assured Athenian sailors a grand view of the Temple of Poseidon as the last ... Read More
Genocide or Miracle?
Thursday April 14, 2005
There are many horrible, awful events described in the Old Testament. Because they are part of "sacred history," though, religious believers tend not to regard those events are being really ... Read More
Evangelicals & Pope John Paul II
Thursday April 14, 2005
Traditionally, evangelical Christians are suspicious of Catholicism at best - and often quite hostile. Recently, though, that suspicion has softened and evangelicals have welcomed Catholic support for their position on ... Read More
Papal Contradictions: John Paul II's Flaws
Thursday April 14, 2005
Many people around the world have praised Pope John Paul II as a great man; he was, however, a man of many contradictions. For every good thing he said or ... Read More
The Religious Mind
Thursday April 14, 2005
One of the interesting ways in which religious people interpret events around them is how anything that happens is taken as evidence of the truth of what they already believe. ... Read More
Judicial Inquisition: Trying to End Secular Laws
Thursday April 14, 2005
The Christian Right is making a major push against an independent judiciary in America. They object to how judges refuse to rule contrary to the Constitution and in favor of ... Read More
This Date in History: Karl Jaspers
Thursday April 14, 2005
April 14, 1945: Philosopher Karl Jaspers was supposed to be arrested by the Gestapo, but the American army entered Heidelberg on March 30 and the plans were never carried out.
Official Police Bibles in Michigan?
Thursday April 14, 2005
Should a police force have their own "official" Bible, with the police seal and everything? That's what some in Michigan thought and so they had a special Bible printed, but ... Read More
Indiana: School Board Wants More Creationism
Thursday April 14, 2005
I really have to wonder about the background and quality of people who get elected to school boards in America. There are surely many fine individuals who serve, but sometimes ... Read More
Financial Issues for Next Pope
Wednesday April 13, 2005
One of the biggest issues facing the next pope won't be Islam or worldwide poverty, it will be the financial crunch hitting the Catholic church. Depending upon what happens, it ... Read More
Proselytizing Books in a School Library
Wednesday April 13, 2005
Should public school libraries have books that tell stories of proselytization? Should public school libraries have books that tell stories which place one religion explicitly above another? One parent found ... Read More
Oregon: Insults at Prayer Breakfast
Wednesday April 13, 2005
Many places around America hold annual "prayer breakfasts" designed to bring politicians and other community leaders together to publicly affirm their religious beliefs and congratulate each other for how religious ... Read More
John Paul II: Early Candidate for Sainthood?
Wednesday April 13, 2005
A great many Catholics would like to see John Paul II made a saint; not a few Catholic leaders agree. Thus, there is a movement at work that hopes to ... Read More
<