Ancient Mycenae, Greece
Friday September 30, 2005
Human habitation at Mycenae probably dates back as far as 5000 BCE, but the main citadel and large walls were constructed around 1500 BCE. The city itself was probably at ... Read More
Are Atheists UnAmerican?
Friday September 30, 2005
Is it wrong for atheists and others to disagree with the addition of the words 'under God' to the Pledge of Allegiance? Is it unAmerican for people to think that ... Read More
Newsletter 09-30-05
Friday September 30, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.39 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at effort to fund religious discrimination via the government's Head ... Read More
Druid Couple Reaches Agreement Over Illegal Stop
Friday September 30, 2005
Remember the South Carolina police officer who tried the proselytize the Druid couple he stopped for a traffic citation? The city has agreed to apologize, but they insist that nothing ... Read More
This Date in History: Jerusalem Surrenders
Friday September 30, 2005
September 30, 1187: Jerusalem is officially surrendered to Saladin, commander of the Muslim forces besieging the city. In order to save face Saladin demands that a heavy ransom be paid ... Read More
Christian Faith Schools are Good, Muslims Schools Not
Thursday September 29, 2005
Two senior British clerics, one Catholic and one Anglican, have stated publicly that there is value in non-Christians attending Christian faith schools, but it would be bad for Christians to ... Read More
The Crusades: Islam vs. Christianity - Causes, History, Images
Thursday September 29, 2005
The Crusades were religious, military, political, and commercial expeditions against both rival religions and rival Christian groups. They helped European society define itself and they laid the groundwork for end ... Read More
Abstain from Abstinence-Only Education
Thursday September 29, 2005
The federal government has been doing a lot to push abstinence-only education. Responsible professionals denounce such programs as ineffective and dangerous, but that doesn't matter because the programs conform to ... Read More
The Christian Right Likes John Roberts
Thursday September 29, 2005
One of the concerns many have had about John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court was the absence of evidence about what he thought on key legal issues. That's probably ... Read More
This Date in History: Christian Peacemaker Teams
Thursday September 29, 2005
September 29, 2004: Just outside the Israeli settlement of Ma'on in Hebron, Chris Brown and Kim Lamberty of Christian Peacemaker Teams are attacked by five masked men wielding bats and ... Read More
Politics and Journalism as Spectacle
Thursday September 29, 2005
The ideal of journalism is that reporters serve the public interest by pressing the powerful - political, commercial, social, religious - to explain themselves and justify their decisions which affect ... Read More
Society is Worse off when God is on Its Side
Wednesday September 28, 2005
A recently published study claims that there is a strong correlation between social dysfunction and high rates of religiosity. The more people believe that God is on their side and ... Read More
Christian History: Timeline of Christian Councils
Wednesday September 28, 2005
Presented here is a chronology of Councils during the history of Christianity, from the very beginning until today. Included with each, where possible, is in formation on the doctrinal decisions ... Read More
Evolution or the Bible, Not Both
Wednesday September 28, 2005
Steve Abrams is chairman of the Kansas State Board of Education and has been the leading figure in that state's efforts to undermine the teaching of evolution in favor of ... Read More
Penguins Adopted by Religious Conservatives
Wednesday September 28, 2005
The movie 'March of the Penguins' has been very popular in America - and especially popular among conservatives, who seem to think that the film demonstrates the natural origins of ... Read More
This Date in History: John Paul I
Wednesday September 28, 2005
September 28, 1978: John Paul I died suddenly.
Newsletter 09-28-05
Wednesday September 28, 2005
News items from the past week include the misunderstanding of statistics and probabilities when assessing alleged miracles, questions about the nature of democracy, secularism in American government, genuine questions about ... Read More
Non-Religious Intelligent Design Defended by Christian Lawyers
Tuesday September 27, 2005
The Dover Area School District is defending in court its decision to include Intelligent Design theology in its classes. The school absolutely insists that Intelligent Design is not even religious, ... Read More
The Crusades: Social & Religious Outcome of the Crusades
Tuesday September 27, 2005
Socially speaking the Crusades had an impact upon the Christian stance on military service. Before there was a strong prejudice against the military, at least among churchmen, on the assumption ... Read More
Christian Coalition Sued by Own Lawyers
Tuesday September 27, 2005
The Christian Coalition, once a powerful religious lobbying group, has fallen on hard times recently. They can't seem to pay their bills because, according to recent reports, they are being ... Read More
Should Sunday be Sacred?
Tuesday September 27, 2005
In Henderson, North Carolina, the city council made it official: Sunday is the Lord's Day and must be held sacred, even by people who don't agree with church traditions about ... Read More
This Date in History: Society of Jesus
Tuesday September 27, 2005
September 27, 1540: With the encyclical "Regimini militantis ecclesiae," Pope Paul III gave official approval to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
Christian Right Reactions to Frist & Stem-Cell Research: Turning on Their Own
Tuesday September 27, 2005
The Christian Right is so accustomed to take-no-prisoners attack politics that even when one of their own says something the least bit controversial, they turn on him like a pack ... Read More
Places in the Bible: Fortress of Masada in Palestine
Tuesday September 27, 2005
The name Masada comes from the Hebrew mesadah, which means 'stronghold.' It was the last and most fortified Jewish fortress during the Jewish War. It is believed that the first ... Read More
Secular Lobbyist Infuriates Christians
Monday September 26, 2005
Lori Lipman Brown, a former Nevada state senator, has been made the first-ever lobbyist for non-religious Americans by the Secular Coalition for America. She has a lot of work ahead ... Read More
'Under God' Has Served Its Purpose
Monday September 26, 2005
The phrase 'under God' was inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance in order to differentiate America from the 'godless' Soviet Union. Well, the Soviet Union is gone now so the ... Read More
The Crusades: Persecution of Jews & Antisemitism
Monday September 26, 2005
There were Jewish communities, some quite large, throughout Europe and the Middle East before the Crusades. They had established themselves and survived over the course of many centuries, but they ... Read More
Head Start on Religious Discrimination
Monday September 26, 2005
Some American lawmakers would like to give Head Start programs administered by religious groups the ability to discriminate in hiring and firing. Discrimination could occur on the basis of religion, ... Read More
Political, Extremist Order of Priests Formed in Texas
Monday September 26, 2005
The Catholic Church is supposed to stay out of politics, but the Vatican has approved the creation of a new order of priests based in Texas that will not only ... Read More
This Date in History: Martin Heidegger
Monday September 26, 2005
September 26, 1889: German philosopher Martin Heidegger was born.
Newsletter 09-26-05
Monday September 26, 2005
News items from the past week include the biological origins of behavior, Mitt Romney's presidential chances with evangelicals, a warning from Catholic bishops not to quote or use their Bible ... Read More
Anglican Bishops Criticize American Evangelicals
Sunday September 25, 2005
The Christian Right in America acts like it is the sole authority over what constitutes genuine Christianity. They don't allow that more liberal and moderate Christians in America are "true" ... Read More
Signs of God?
Sunday September 25, 2005
Theists claim to find signs and evidence of god all around us - in trees, clouds, and in life itself. We must ask, however, whether such interpretations of nature are ... Read More
Jews are Doomed to Hell
Sunday September 25, 2005
Arrogant, superior attitudes towards Jews still exist among Christians. In the past, these attitudes fueled anti-Semitism; if Christians continue to be anti-Semitic, they aren't willing to acknowledge it anymore. Ryan ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Was Jesus Crazy? The Unforgivable Sin (Mark 3:20-30)
Sunday September 25, 2005
Here again Jesus is portrayed as preaching and, perhaps, healing. His exact activities are not made explicit, but it's clear that Jesus just keeps getting more and more popular. What ... Read More
Colorado: Coven's Halloween Plans Stir Up Town
Sunday September 25, 2005
In Ramah, Colorado, a coven rented an American Legion Hall for a pagan festival on October 29. This has unleashed controversy in the small town because good, god-fearing Christians can't ... Read More
New Church Advertisements Appearing in Britain
Sunday September 25, 2005
The Church of England appears desperate for new members and has launched an advertising campaign that raises all sorts of emotional images - but which also have little to say ... Read More
This Date in History: Battle of Nicopolis
Sunday September 25, 2005
September 25, 1396: Battle of Nicopolis: A Crusader army of around 60,000 men and made up of from the Hungarian army of Sigismund of Luxembourg along with French, German, Polish, ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Maurois on Arguments and Opinions
Sunday September 25, 2005
The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one’s opinion, but rather to know it.
- Andre Maurois, quoted in Frederic B. Wilcox, A Little Book of Aphorisms (1947).
Read ... Read More
Jesus and the Money Launderers: Catholic Church Profiting From Dug Money
Saturday September 24, 2005
Is it legal or moral for a church to receive and profit from drug money - or any money made from criminal activity? The Catholic Church seems to think so. ... Read More
New Jersey: Forcing a Bar to Sell to a Catholic School
Saturday September 24, 2005
Cheng "Terry" Tan owns the Golden Cicada, a Chinese restaurant and bar in Jersey City which a Catholic school wants in order to expand an athletic field. For some reason, ... Read More
Christian History: Timeline of Medieval Christianity, 1400 - 1500
Saturday September 24, 2005
When was the Lollard uprising in England? When was Jan Hus burned for heresy? When did Constantinople fall to the Ottoman Turks, ending the Eastern Roman Empire? When was the ... Read More
John Roberts and Court Stripping
Saturday September 24, 2005
Currently growing in popularity is the idea of "court stripping," removing from federal courts the authority to hear cases on issues which the Christian Right doesn't think it can win ... Read More
Iran's Pre-Islamic Past
Saturday September 24, 2005
Iran isn't an Arab nation and, unlike most Arab Muslim nations, it has a pre-Islamic past which is arguably grander and more important than its Islamic history. This has been ... Read More
This Date in History: Taliban
Saturday September 24, 2005
September 24, 2001: The Taliban called for a jihad against the United States if American forces entered Afghanistan hunting for Osama bin Laden.
Texas Pastor: America is Not a Christian Nation
Saturday September 24, 2005
Bishop T.D. Jakes is a very important African-American pastor who leads a massive non-denominational church in Dallas, Texas. His views on social morality are very close to that of President ... Read More
Illinois: Religious Art Removed from School
Friday September 23, 2005
In Anna, Illinois, the Junior High School had three religious paintings hanging in the school for fifty years: Da Vinci's Last Supper and two portraits of Jesus. Some imagined that ... Read More
Newsletter 09-23-05
Friday September 23, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.38 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at some more commentary on the recent Pledge of Allegiance ... Read More
The Crusades: Military & Political Outcome of the Crusades
Friday September 23, 2005
The first and perhaps most important thing we should bear in mind is that when all is said and done, from a political and military perspective the Crusades were a ... Read More
John Roberts Supports School Prayer?
Friday September 23, 2005
Atheists are justifiably concerned about what John Roberts thinks about the separation of church and state. The available evidence indicates that Roberts does not really think highly of the concept, ... Read More
Discussion: Crescent of Embrace
Friday September 23, 2005
A forum member writes: In the case of the Crescent of Embrace, though, some people are seeing Jesus in a cheese sandwich. They are finding meaning where no meaning was ... Read More
And Jesus Said, Give Only to Those Who Are Worthy
Friday September 23, 2005
Christianity presents itself as religion which promotes charity, love, and doing good works. For some reason, though, American Christians are starting to limit their 'charity' to only those who are ... Read More
This Date in History: Sigmund Freud
Friday September 23, 2005
September 23, 1939: Sigmund Freud died.
Pledge All About Establishing Religion
Thursday September 22, 2005
Why does the Christian Right get so worked up about removing "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance? If it is merely a statement about America's religious heritage, it wouldn't ... Read More
Mistakes Christians Make when Dealing with Atheists
Thursday September 22, 2005
Just about every atheist online has the experience of debating religion and theism with Christians. These atheists can almost universally attest to the same negative experiences, too, of Christians who ... Read More
This Date in History: Papal Infallibility in Germany
Thursday September 22, 2005
September 22, 1871: Led by church historian and priest Johann Joseph Ignaz von Dollinger, German Catholics opposed to the doctrine of papal infallibility meet in Munich and decide to set ... Read More
Newt Gingrich: Constitution Doesn't Require Government to be Secular
Thursday September 22, 2005
America's Christian Right is fundamentally opposed to the idea of secularism - the idea of a government which is neutral in matters of religion. The only alternative to neutrality is ... Read More
Anti-Gay Radicals Promote Split in Baptist Church
Wednesday September 21, 2005
The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) has successfully initiated what may become a schism in the American Baptist Church. The Pacific Southwest Region has voted to split from the ... Read More
Photo Gallery: Ancient Greek Mythology
Wednesday September 21, 2005
Classical Greek mythology and religion did not spring fully formed from the rocky Greek ground. They were, instead, amalgams of religious influences from Minoan Crete, Asia Minor, and native beliefs. ... Read More
Editorial: Atheists Right About Pledge, But Should Lose Anyway
Wednesday September 21, 2005
Most negative reactions to the recent Pledge of Allegiance decision try to insist that government promotion of theism is constitutionally permissible. A very, very few are willing to acknowledge that ... Read More
Is the Government Responsible for Church Ministry?
Wednesday September 21, 2005
One curious aspect to the Christian Right's attacks on the separation of church and state is that they would assign authority, which means responsibility, for spreading religious messages to the ... Read More
This Date in History: Racism and Roman Catholicism
Wednesday September 21, 2005
September 21, 1947: Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter St. Louis, Missouri, warns Roman Catholics that they would be automatically excommunicated if any move forward in taking civil action against his plans ... Read More
Virginia Attorney General: No Separation of Church and State
Wednesday September 21, 2005
School officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, decided that principals and other top officials shouldn't take part in private, religious baccalaureate services lest they give the impression of an official endorsement ... Read More
Newsletter 09-21-05
Wednesday September 21, 2005
News items from the past week include the premises behind traditional Catholic opposition to religious liberty, whether people are justified in being proud of Western civilization, how the Bush administration ... Read More
Catholic League: Teachers Should Override Students' Religious Rights
Tuesday September 20, 2005
The responses of religious conservatives to the most recent Pledge decision continue to come in. Perhaps the most interesting is that from the Catholic League, which says that teachers should ... Read More
Atheist Family Values
Tuesday September 20, 2005
Most Americans understand that it's wrong to express bigotry towards Jews or Muslims, even if they can't overcome bigoted feelings towards them. This isn't the case with atheists, though: many ... Read More
This Date in History: Great Schism of the West
Tuesday September 20, 2005
September 20, 1378: The "Great Schism of the West" begins when the election of Pope Urban VI to the papacy is challenged by French cardinals, who in turn elect Clement ... Read More
Sacred Sites: Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem - History, Geography, Religion
Tuesday September 20, 2005
The Mount of Olives (also: Mt. Olivet) is part of a limestone ridge protecting Jerusalem that splits north of the city and unites again to the south. The area around ... Read More
Day of Prayer Flops
Monday September 19, 2005
Friday, September 16, was a National Day of Prayer for the victims of hurricane Katrina, but it appears that the event was a flop. Many houses of worship didn't participate ... Read More
Christianity: History of Baptist Christianity
Monday September 19, 2005
Baptists make up the third largest Protestant denomination in the world (after Anglicans and Presbyterians/Reformed/Congregational). Their history can be traced back to the early days of the Protestant Reformation — ... Read More
Pakistan: Musharraf Claims Women Want to get Raped
Monday September 19, 2005
Pakistan has a problem with how women are treated in its society. One especially egregious issue is the way women can be raped on orders from elders who see rape ... Read More
Mitt Romney, Evangelicals, and the Mormon Church
Monday September 19, 2005
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seems to be interested in running for president. He runs a liberal state, but has been moving to the right on some issues in an apparent ... Read More
This Date in History: Israel and the PLO
Monday September 19, 2005
September 19, 1993: Israel officially recognized the PLO as no longer a criminal organization.
Religion is Not Necessary for Morality
Monday September 19, 2005
I don't need religion to be moral because I see that religion has little at all do with morality. It is not the source of morality any more than school ... Read More
Newsletter 09-19-05
Monday September 19, 2005
News items from the past week include claims about how the West must liberate the Middle East, the ways that the Christian Right is altering the way Americans see themselves, ... Read More
CAIR: Photo Doctoring for Islamic Correctness?
Sunday September 18, 2005
What happens when Muslim leaders have a press conference in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., and women have the temerity to show up without head covering? In ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus Calls the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:13-19)
Sunday September 18, 2005
At this point Jesus officially gathers together his apostles, at least according to the biblical texts. Stories indicate that many people followed Jesus around, but these are the only ones ... Read More
Vatican Investigating Seminaries for Homosexuals
Sunday September 18, 2005
Roman Catholic leaders are stepping up their efforts to rid their church of dirty little gay priests and dissenting theologians. Their most recent move is to launch an investigation of ... Read More
Keith Windschuttle Goes Off the Deep End
Sunday September 18, 2005
The Killing of History: How Literary Critics and Social Theorists are Murdering Our Past is an excellent analysis of how sloppy, politically-motivated thinking can lead to disengagement from reality and ... Read More
This Date in History: Marcel Lefebvre
Sunday September 18, 2005
September 18, 1947: Marcel Lefebvre is consecrated as bishop. Lefebvre would break with Rome following the Second Vatican Council and, over the years, consecrated hundreds of priests who agreed with ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Locke on Reason and Faith
Sunday September 18, 2005
Every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it gladly; and where it fails them, they cry out, “It is a matter of faith, and above ... Read More
Image Gallery: Minoan Culture in Crete
Saturday September 17, 2005
Human habitation on Crete can be traced back to some time during the 7th millennium BCE. No one knows where exactly these settlers came from (Anatolia is often cited as ... Read More
Pope Benedict XVI Warmly Greets Exorcist Convention
Saturday September 17, 2005
Yes, even exorcists have national conventions and evidently one is taking place in Italy now - though in an undisclosed location, for privacy reasons. Pope Benedict XVI seems to appreciate ... Read More
Memorializing the Holocaust is Offensive to Muslims?
Saturday September 17, 2005
Muslims in Britain are upset: they believe that Holocaust Day, a date used to memorialize the victims of the Holocaust, is offense to Muslims because it singles out Jews for ... Read More
This Date in History: Quakers in Massachusetts
Saturday September 17, 2005
September 17, 1656: Massachusetts enacted severe laws against Quakers. At this time the concept of the separation of church and state had not really taken hold, thus the line between ... Read More
Mysteries of Human Evolution
Saturday September 17, 2005
The evolution of species on this planet is taken for granted by serious working scientists - that all species, including humans, evolved form earlier forms of life is no more ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on Science, Technology, Philosophy of Science, and Ethics in Science
Friday September 16, 2005
The modern world is heavily dependent upon science and technology; unfortunately, most people don't know a great deal about either. Scientific literacy is inadequate to modern needs and very inadequate ... Read More
American Catholic Bishops: Stop Reading from the Bible
Friday September 16, 2005
This is a very interesting case: a Catholic who created a podcast of the the daily scripture readings from the Catholic Lectionary has gotten a quick "cease and desist" letter ... Read More
Newsletter 09-16-05
Friday September 16, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.37 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at the recent decision regarding the Pledge of Allegiance, the ... Read More
Discussion: FOX TV
Friday September 16, 2005
A forum member writes: I don't watch much TV, except the occasional DVD, but the computer is in the same room as the TV and the kids often watch cartoons. ... Read More
Minnesota: University Ends Faith Healing Course
Friday September 16, 2005
After the filing of a lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the University of Minnesota has dropped plans to sponsor a faith/health program. This program would have trained students ... Read More
This Date in History: English Reformation
Friday September 16, 2005
September 16, 1581: The English parliament passed a law that prescribed the death penalty for anyone who converted to Catholicism, treating such an act as if it were high treason ... Read More
Flag Desecration Amendment: It's Just The Beginning
Friday September 16, 2005
Regularly, almost like clockwork, conservatives attempt to enact a constitutional amendment that would permit them to ban flag burning and various forms of flag "desecration." They still don't accept the ... Read More
Creation of the New Testament and Christian Faith
Friday September 16, 2005
Recently Received: From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries & Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith, by L. Michael White. Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco.
One of the things which ... Read More
Pledge of Allegiance Unconstitutional... Again
Thursday September 15, 2005
A federal judge in California has ruled that school children cannot be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance because the inclusion of the words "under God" constitutes a coercive ... Read More
Places in the Bible: Tombs of Jerusalem
Thursday September 15, 2005
Jerusalem is surrounded by tombs and graves - mostly Jewish but also many Muslim tombs as well. It has been said that Jerusalem's population of the dead is a large ... Read More
Archbishop: No Queer Priests
Thursday September 15, 2005
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien, who is overseeing a Vatican assessment of American seminaries, has declared that gay men should not be permitted in the priesthood - even if they have been ... Read More
Atheist Women Envy Muslim Women?
Thursday September 15, 2005
Islamic tradition forces women into an inferior role in society because it is assumed that men won't be able to control themselves around women. Instead of blaming men and getting ... Read More
This Date in History: Ku Klux Klan
Thursday September 15, 2005
September 15, 1923: In an effort to counter the terrorist activities of the Ku Klux Klan, Governor John Calloway Walton placed Oklahoma under martial law.
Whose Bible Is It?
Thursday September 15, 2005
Recently Received: Whose Bible Is It? A History of the Scriptures Through the Ages, by Jaroslav Pelikan. Publisher: Viking Adult.
The Bible is a very important book (or, rather, collection of ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on the Separation of Church & State and Religious Liberty
Wednesday September 14, 2005
The issue of the separation of church and state has been at the center of a tremendous number of debates in America. Questions about prayer in pubic schools, government support ... Read More
What the Sharia Means
Wednesday September 14, 2005
Some people were hoping that Ontario would authorize the use of sharia (Muslim law) when it comes to family matters, but Premier Dalton McGuinty has rejected that - and with ... Read More
Republican Witch-Hunts Against Climate Change Scientists?
Wednesday September 14, 2005
Apparently, Republican leaders have been singling out climate-change experts for special scrutiny and intimidation if they express views on global warming which are contrary to the administration's official line. This ... Read More
This Date in History: Witches in Massachusetts
Wednesday September 14, 2005
September 14, 1699: Massachusetts had a day of fasting to atone for the persecuting "witches".
Playing Politics with Faith-Based Funding
Wednesday September 14, 2005
President Bush promotes his 'faith-based' agenda by saying that churches and other religious groups deserve to get more funding for their charitable work. Because it involves the government handing out ... Read More
Newsletter 09-14-05
Wednesday September 14, 2005
News items from the past week include how Christian bigotry played a role in America's politics in even the earliest days, the nonsensical notion of atheists being "fundamentalists," theocrats becoming ... Read More
Blame is Not a Game - It's Part of Democracy
Tuesday September 13, 2005
Apologists for the Bush administration have criticized efforts to blame people in the federal government for their negligent response to hurricane Katrina. According to them, we should wait until there ... Read More
How the Christian Right is Changing America
Tuesday September 13, 2005
The Christian Right has been growing in power, influence, and numbers over the past several decades. Although they haven't managed to take control of American culture as they would like, ... Read More
This Date in History: Jerry Falwell
Tuesday September 13, 2005
September 13, 2001: During an exchange with Pat Robertson on the 700 Club, Jerry Falwell explained what he thought caused the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center: ... Read More
Places in the Bible: City of Jaffa (Joppa) - History, Geography, Religion
Monday September 12, 2005
Joppa is Hebrew for 'beauty' and was generally known as Jaffa in ancient times. It is the oldest and perhaps the most famous seaport on Israel's coast. It served the ... Read More
How to Identify Extremists
Monday September 12, 2005
There are extremists in every religion, every philosophy, and every political group. Their goals and beliefs may vary widely, but there are some commonalities in how they behave, in their ... Read More
This Date in History: Henry Louis Mencken
Monday September 12, 2005
September 12, 1880: Journalist, author, and critic of religion Henry Louis Mencken was born.
Newsletter 09-12-05
Monday September 12, 2005
News items from the past week include how Christian Marriage has been dying for more than a century, myths about how America is a Christian Nation, why Christians show so ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus Draws Crowds for Healing (Mark 3:7-12)
Sunday September 11, 2005
Jesus moves on to the sea of Galilee where people from all over come to hear him speak and/or be healed (that isn't explained). So many show up that Jesus ... Read More
Pastors Make Jokes About Katrina Victims
Sunday September 11, 2005
Pastsors.com is an online resource that is apparently run by Rick Warren ("The Purpose Diven Life") and his family. How have the people there reacted to the hurricane Katrina? According ... Read More
This Date in History: Mormon Massacre
Sunday September 11, 2005
September 11, 1857: Mormon fanatic John D. Lee, angered over President Buchanan's order to remove Brigham Young from governorship of the Utah Territory, led a band of Mormons in a ... Read More
Theocrats for Christ
Sunday September 11, 2005
Some people object to using the word "theocrat" to describe members of the Christian Right and "theocracy" to describe the sort of society they seek. More and more of them, ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Daniel Dennett on Bad Arguments
Sunday September 11, 2005
There's nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear.
- Daniel Dennett
Read a discussion of this quote: Daniel Dennett on Bad Arguments
Supreme Court of the United States
Sunday September 11, 2005
Recently Received: The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States, by Kermit L. Hall, James W. Ely, and Joel B. Grossman. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
The Supreme Court ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on Skepticism, Critical Thinking, Paranormal Beliefs
Saturday September 10, 2005
Society today requires science more than at any time in the past. Unfortunately, people today are often scientifically illiterate - they don't understand science and they don't understand how to ... Read More
Judges Opting Out of Abortion Cases
Saturday September 10, 2005
In several states, minors who want abortions must either have parental permission or get a judge to approve. Some judges who disagree with abortion on moral grounds are refusing to ... Read More
Democracy and Religion in Pakistan
Saturday September 10, 2005
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan came to power in part by exploiting religion, but today he has come into conflict with religious leaders in order to stay on America's good ... Read More
This Date in History: Joseph Ratzinger
Saturday September 10, 2005
September 10, 1944: Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, is released from duty at an anti-aircraft unit defending a BMW plant.
Just War And Christian Tradition
Saturday September 10, 2005
Recently Received: Between Pacifism And Jihad: Just War And Christian Tradition, by J. Daryl Charles. Publisher: InterVarsity Press.
Is Christianity a religion of peace or of violence? Both, actually, and nothing ... Read More
Places in the Bible: Region of Galilee - History, Geography, Religion
Friday September 9, 2005
Galilee (Hebrew galil, meaning either 'circle' or 'district') was one of the major regions of ancient Palestine, larger even than Judea and Samaria. The earliest reference to Galilee comes from ... Read More
Shakespeare in Kabul: Conservatives Upset
Friday September 9, 2005
For the first time since 1978, a band of actors in Afghanistan has performed a piece by Shakespeare. Naturally some religious conservatives are outraged by this, which explains why Shakespeare's ... Read More
Newsletter 09-09-05
Friday September 9, 2005
Welcome to issue #7.36 of Free Thought Now!, the Agnosticism / Atheism site newsletter. This week we'll take a look at the death of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, ... Read More
Leadership Changes in Israel
Friday September 9, 2005
Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin ('Bibi') Netanyahu has resigned from the government and is challenging current Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for leadership of the nation. This could have profound implications ... Read More
This Date in History: Jerry Falwell
Friday September 9, 2005
September 09, 2001: Jerry Falwell stated: "Since the Antichrist will not be revealed before Jesus comes, I believe conditions are falling in place, i.e., one-world government, so he can ... Read More
How The Jews Were Blamed For The Death Of Jesus
Friday September 9, 2005
Recently Received: Presumed Guilty: How The Jews Were Blamed For The Death Of Jesus, by Peter J. Tomson Janet Dy. Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
The starting point of most Christian traditions ... Read More
France: Headscarf Ban Appears to be Working
Thursday September 8, 2005
France's decision to ban headscarves in public schools received a great deal of criticism, but after a year now the policy appears to be working. Muslim schoolgirls are not suffering ... Read More
Covert Propaganda from the Department of Education
Thursday September 8, 2005
Once again, the Bush administration has been caught using public funds to promote the administration's agenda without telling anyone that it's government propaganda. This time, it involves the Department of ... Read More
Reform in Islam
Thursday September 8, 2005
Most people recognize that there are significant problems with the world-wide Muslim community. Perhaps the biggest problem is the uncritical adherence to "tradition" which, over the centuries, has proven an ... Read More
Religion News: News and Commentary on Religion and Religious Beliefs
Thursday September 8, 2005
Religion is an important component of culture; as such, it ends up playing a significant role in politics, social issues, and ethical debates. Religion is also, therefore, involved in all ... Read More
Evangelicals Oppressed Because People Disagree With Them
Thursday September 8, 2005
A common refrain heard from the Christian Right these days is that Christians (which only means them, because liberals can't be 'real' Christians) are persecuted in America. These Christians possess ... Read More
Religion Being Pushed Out of Public Life?
Thursday September 8, 2005
A popular argument among conservative Christians is that unless government officials are allowed to promote Christianity, then religion doesn't have a "real" place in public life. The widespread presence of ... Read More
This Date in History: Great Revolt in Jerusalem
Thursday September 8, 2005
September 08, 0070: Following a six-month siege, Jerusalem surrendered to the Roman forces under the command of Titus. Over a million Jewish citizens are thought to have perished during the ... Read More
Mother Angelica & the Eternal World Television Network
Thursday September 8, 2005
Recently Received: Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles, by Raymond Arroyo. Publisher: Doubleday.
The first Catholic cable channel was launched in 1981 ... Read More
Why Do Women Have Abortions?
Wednesday September 7, 2005
The Christian Right likes to portray abortion as a selfish decision and women who have abortions as women who are making a selfish choice. Anti-choice partisans seem to want everyone ... Read More
Telling the Truth About Rehnquist
Wednesday September 7, 2005
People will be lauding William Rehnquist and his tenure as Associate Justice then Chief Justice on the Supreme Court. Not many will want to hear the truth about how he ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on Sex, Sexuality, Pornography, Erotica, Nudity
Wednesday September 7, 2005
Sex sells, which means that sex can sell a lot of books. Sex is also a fundamental part of who we are as human beings, which means that we should ... Read More
Pro-Life Fanatics Continue to Get Worse
Wednesday September 7, 2005
In Wisconsin, the family of Marine Staff Sgt. Chad Simon decided recently to have his feeding tubes removed. Simon had been injured by a bomb in Iraq back in November ... Read More
Discussion: The DaVinci Code
Wednesday September 7, 2005
The DaVinci Code: it posits the existence of a clandestine society that has, from Christianity's early days, preserved the secret that Jesus and Mary Magadalene were married, and that some ... Read More
Who Are the Originalists Here?
Wednesday September 7, 2005
Originalism is a popular theory of constitutional interpretation among conservatives. According to this position, the Constitution should be understood according to the "original intent" of its authors. Curiously, people can ... Read More
This Date in History: Sunday School Society
Wednesday September 7, 2005
September 07, 1785: The Sunday School Society was formed in London, offering weekly Christian tutoring for the poor. Their success lead to the development of a similar organization in the ... Read More
Newsletter 09-07-05
Wednesday September 7, 2005
News items from the past week include growing Christian opposition to legal divorce, the way people attribute personal failings to innate flaws, the damage caused by political talk shows, Christian ... Read More
Pharmacists Want Right to Impose on Patients
Tuesday September 6, 2005
The political push to allow pharmacists to refuse to do the job they were hired for whenever it suits them continues to grow. If they have their way, women will ... Read More
Don't Teach 'Both Sides' when One Side is Wrong
Tuesday September 6, 2005
A common refrain from opponents of evolution is that schools should teach "both sides" of the debate - a debate which is wholly their own creation and based upon a ... Read More
Fundamentalist Atheists?
Tuesday September 6, 2005
It doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while someone responds to atheist critiques of religion or theism by labeling the person as a "fundamentalist" atheist. The label ... Read More
This Date in History: Star of David
Tuesday September 6, 2005
September 06, 1941: Jews in German-occupied areas were ordered to wear the Star of David with the word "Jew" inscribed. The order only applied to Jews over the age of ... Read More
America Based on God's Laws, God's Rights
Monday September 5, 2005
One of the fundamental dangers posted by the Christian Right in America is that they want to replace democracy with theocracy. Few advocate this openly, but it is the undeniable ... Read More
Christian Right Responds to Osama Pat Robertson's Threats
Monday September 5, 2005
Most people condemned Pat Robertson's threats towards Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Most decent, moral, people, that is. What about leaders of the Christian Right? How have they reacted?
Media Matters explains ... Read More
Atheists Ashamed of Christianity
Monday September 5, 2005
Christianity is a dominant force in America - but is it a force for good? Christians certainly seem to think so and they act like it's the best possible influence ... Read More
Places in the Bible: Capernaum - Did Jesus Teach Here?
Monday September 5, 2005
The name 'Capernaum' is Hebrew for 'village of Nahum' and is the name for a small village on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today it has been ... Read More
German State Plans to Ban Hijab in School
Monday September 5, 2005
The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia will apparently ban teachers from wearing hijab at school. According to officials, neither female nor male teachers are permitted to espouse religious beliefs, which ... Read More
Jewish Terrorism in Israel
Monday September 5, 2005
When one thinks about terrorism in Israel, one normally thinks about Palestinian attacks against Jewish targets - usually civilian. Because of the Gaza pullout, though, there has been an increase ... Read More
This Date in History: Parliament of the World's Religions
Monday September 5, 2005
September 05, 1993: The second-ever Parliament of the World's Religions ended. It had met in Chicago, the same place where the first Parliament met in 1893, and was billed as ... Read More
Newsletter 09-05-05
Monday September 5, 2005
News items from the past week include questions about the "missing link" of evolution, some of the dramatic changes in marriage over the centuries, how religion can corrupt and become ... Read More
Carnival of the Godless
Sunday September 4, 2005
Welcome to the 22nd Carnival of the Godless, where some of the more interesting writings from a godless perspective are listed, discussed, and promoted. We have a very interesting collection ... Read More
Looting in New Orleans Because Ten Commandments Not in Schools
Sunday September 4, 2005
Lacking any basic moral decencies, some Christians are arguing that people are looting in New Orleans because the government didn't promote Christianity by teaching them the Ten Commandments in public ... Read More
God's Purpose in Katrina: Witness & Proselytize
Sunday September 4, 2005
The people in southern Louisiana need a lot of supplies: food, water, medicine, clothing, etc. People all over the world are donating to help them, but what are the Gideons ... Read More
Short Biography of William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Sunday September 4, 2005
William Rehnquist is one of the most conservative justices to sit on the Supreme Court in a long time. Even while still a law clerk for Justice Robert H. Jackson, ... Read More
Faith Based Funding and Programs: Recent News and Posts
Sunday September 4, 2005
President George W. Bush has worked hard to get the government to finance religion and religious programs. This "faith based funding" is designed to provide financial aid to religious groups ... Read More
Conservative Republicans Seek to Interfere with the Free Market
Sunday September 4, 2005
The Republican Party likes to portray itself as defenders of business and the free market. They oppose regulations that would restrict harmful business practices (like pollution), preferring instead to seek ... Read More
UN Criticizes Bush on AIDS and Abstinence
Sunday September 4, 2005
For moral and religious rather than scientific reasons, the Bush administration has been pushing abstinence as the solution for fighting AIDS - even to the point of under-emphasizing condom usage. ... Read More
This Date in History: Suleiman the Magnificent
Sunday September 4, 2005
September 04, 1523: Suleiman the Magnificent leads the Ottoman Turks in an assault on the Hospitallers in Rhodes who are able to hold out until the end of the year, ... Read More
Texas: Death Penalty for Doctors Performing Abortions
Sunday September 4, 2005
Anti-abortion activists who actually believe their rhetoric would have to support charging abortion doctors and women getting abortions with murder. Most don't, though, but a new law in Texas could ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus Heals on the Sabbath, Pharisees Complain (Mark 3:1-6)
Sunday September 4, 2005
Jesus' violations of Sabbath laws continue in this story of how he healed a man's hand in a synagogue. Why was Jesus in this synagogue on this day - to ... Read More