Judas Iscariot: Contradictions in Gospel Accounts of Judas' Betrayal of Jesus
Friday March 31, 2006
There was no option for Jesus not to be executed because without his crucifixion, he could not rise again in three days and thus save humanity. To be executed, though, ... Read More
Discussion: Did Jesus Really Exist?
Friday March 31, 2006
A forum member writes: Occham's razor favors that view that the gospels are partly right and partly erroneous.
If you strip away all the supernatural events, the story in the gospels ... Read More
Is Darwinism Holy? Pretending that Science is Religion
Friday March 31, 2006
Why do so many Christians pretend that science and/or evolution are religions? This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many possibilities. Perhaps religion so controls their ... Read More
This Date in History: Terri Schiavo Dies
Friday March 31, 2006
March 31, 2005: After 13 days without her feeding tube, Terri Schiavo dies in Florida. Terri Schiavo fell into a coma brought on buy her bulimia and the loss of ... Read More
Church/State Fundamentals: Lee v. Weisman (1991)
Friday March 31, 2006
How far can a school go when it comes to accommodating the religious beliefs of students and parents? Many schools have traditionally had someone offer prayers at important school events ... Read More
Popularity of the Apocalypse (Book Notes: Apocalyptic Prophet)
Friday March 31, 2006
It seems that the most popular Christian fiction books today (and they are fiction, something that readers don't always seem to keep firmly in mind) are about an apocalypse in ... Read More
History of Rome
Friday March 31, 2006
Book of the Day: The Romans: From Village to Empire, by Daniel J. Gargola, Richard J. A. Talbert, and Mary Taliaferro Boatwright. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
The rise and fall of ... Read More
Atheists Discriminated Against in Child Custody Cases
Thursday March 30, 2006
A couple of days ago I read a blog dismissing the importance of the survey showing atheists to be the most distrusted minority in America because there isn't any practical ... Read More
Discussion: Becoming a Better Person
Thursday March 30, 2006
A forum member writes: If you want to 'be good' (whatever that may mean to you), then there's no way to be that except by 'doing good' (whatever that may ... Read More
Abortion to Save the Life of the Mother: Not a Valid Exception
Thursday March 30, 2006
Most anti-choice activists support exemptions to bans on abortions that cover the life or health of the mother, rape, and incest. It's rare for laws criminalizing abortion not to provide ... Read More
This Date in History: O'Hair Murders
Thursday March 30, 2006
March 30, 2001: David Waters is sentenced for the murders of Madalyn Murray O'Hair, her son Jon Garth, and her granddaughter Robin O'Hair.
Mailbag: Real Live Psychic!
Thursday March 30, 2006
From: "Steven R."
Subject: Genuine Psychic
Just wanted to contact you personally about possibly getting a colleague of mine listed on About.com in the missing persons area. Her name is Kelli Faulkner ... Read More
Daily Poll: Are Beliefs like Buddhism Religion or Philosophies?
Thursday March 30, 2006
The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition Buddhism is often categorized as a religion, but because it doesn't mandate belief in any gods some argue that it ... Read More
Defending Family Values: Using the Family for Social, Political Control (Book Notes: Southern Cross)
Thursday March 30, 2006
It's been remarked by more than one person that the conservative evangelical claims to be 'defending' family values stands in stark contrast to policies and agendas that make matters difficult ... Read More
About
Thursday March 30, 2006
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can ... Read More
Is Larry Darby's Support Growing or Dwindling?
Wednesday March 29, 2006
It's unfortunate, but a number of atheists are defending or even supporting Larry Darby's Holocaust Denial and Anti-Semitic drivel. This is a sad demonstration that being an atheist doesn't make ... Read More
Carnival of the Liberals #9: Ask And Ye Shall Receive
Wednesday March 29, 2006
When putting out calls for submissions for this ninth edition of the Carnival of the Liberals, I requested that people try to write about religious and philosophical issues in order ... Read More
Discussion: How To Live?
Wednesday March 29, 2006
A forum member writes: Atheism, cut loose from all this, needs something else--or does it?--to show us a way, some way, any way. Biology and genetics and evolutionary theory tell ... Read More
Christian Hate: Evolution is a Jewish Conspiracy
Wednesday March 29, 2006
Christian extremists make up all sorts of things about evolution and science in order to push their theocratic agenda, but one of the most disturbing is the idea that evolution ... Read More
This Date in History: Student Prayers at Football Games
Wednesday March 29, 2006
March 29, 2000: Argued: Santa Fe School District v. Doe The Supreme Court ruled that official, student-led prayers before a school football game violated the separation of church and state. ... Read More
Daily Poll: Terrorism in Your Community - A Concern?
Wednesday March 29, 2006
Terrorism has been a serious concern in many communities around the world for some time now. Recently, the threat of terrorist attacks seems to have increased. Are you concerned about ... Read More
Christianity & Women: Christian Equality vs. Christian Misogyny (Book Notes: Daughters of Light)
Wednesday March 29, 2006
Christians often regard their religion as one of peace, freedom, and liberation - but it hasn't always been that way, and it isn't even always that way today. For most ... Read More
IBM and the Holocaust
Wednesday March 29, 2006
Book of the Day: IBM and the Holocaust: The Strategic Alliance between Nazi Germany and America's Most Powerful Corporation, by Edwin Black. Publisher: Three Rivers Press.
The Holocaust wasn’t the first ... Read More
Dear Amy: Respect Is a Two-Way Street
Tuesday March 28, 2006
When you show respect to a person and their beliefs, they should return it and show the same respect to you and what you believe. When they don't - or ... Read More
Discussion: Atheists Receiving Holy Communion
Tuesday March 28, 2006
A forum member writes: Does anyone know if atheists and/or agnostics are disqualified from being given communion? Let's say an atheist went to church to make his mother happy on ... Read More
Do Atheists Act in Vain?
Tuesday March 28, 2006
Far too often I see theists insist that the actions of atheists can't really matter if they don't believe that they will live forever in some sort of ill-defined, unsupportable ... Read More
This Date in History: Jews Expelled
Tuesday March 28, 2006
March 28, 1917: Turkish authorities expelled all Jews from Tel Aviv and Jaffa.
Religious Groups Getting Huge Funding Boost from Government
Tuesday March 28, 2006
Religious groups are benefiting from President Bush's 'faith-based strategy' in a big way. Pat Robertson's notorious Operation Blessing, for example, only received USD $108,000 two years ago, but is now ... Read More
People in the Bible: Christians During New Testament Times
Tuesday March 28, 2006
The definition of Christian is a matter of great debate - every Christian group seems to have their own definition that includes themselves but excludes many others. The simplest, most ... Read More
Daily Poll: Public Financing vs. Private Patent Protection
Tuesday March 28, 2006
When private universities develop some new product or method for doing things, they common file for patent protection and thereby make a lot of money. Much of their research, however, ... Read More
Race & Honor: Biblical Origins of Christian Racism, Slavery (Book Notes: Noah's Curse)
Tuesday March 28, 2006
Why would Christians believe that someone is inferior simply because their skin is black? Racism likely derives from fear of differences, but that has nothing to do with how they ... Read More
Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution
Tuesday March 28, 2006
Book of the Day: Legally Wed: Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution, by Mark Strasser. Publisher: Cornell University Press.
The legal validity of gay marriage has become an important topic in recent ... Read More
Abortion: Bad Because It Means Sex Without Consequences
Monday March 27, 2006
The rhetoric of anti-choice activists usually focuses on the fetus and the premise that a fetus has the same moral status as a child or adult - therefore, abortion is ... Read More
Discussion: How to Ditch Church
Monday March 27, 2006
A forum member writes: Easter is coming. My Mom wants ... all of us to go to church. I said "no thanks". She then says that I am trying ... Read More
Reflections of a Pakistani Atheist
Monday March 27, 2006
Popular depictions of Muslim nations portray such societies as if everyone were hard-core Muslims. This is certainly how religious and political authorities would like their nations to be thought of ... Read More
This Date in History: Construction of Auschwitz
Monday March 27, 2006
March 27, 1940: Heinrich Himmler ordered the construction of the concentration camp of Auschwitz at Katowice, Poland.
Making War as a way of Making Love
Monday March 27, 2006
It's common to presume that war and love are opposites - if you love someone you don't make war on them and if you launch a war on someone, you ... Read More
Daily Poll: Should Polygamy be Legal?
Monday March 27, 2006
Many religions in the past have included polygamy as a valid, if not dominant, form of marriage. In America today only marriage between a single man and a single woman ... Read More
Using Religious Scripts to Define Social Roles (Book Notes: Desert Patriarchy)
Monday March 27, 2006
Most people don't think about the social roles they play - they don't give much thought to the expectations they have to fulfill as man or woman, husband or wife, ... Read More
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
Monday March 27, 2006
Book of the Day: UnGodly: The Passions, Torments, and Murder of Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, by Ted Dracos. Publisher: Free Press.
The disappearance and death of Madalyn Murray O’Hair has been ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus Heals a Blind Man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)
Sunday March 26, 2006
Here we have yet another man being healed, this time of blindness. Alongside another giving-of-sight story that appears in chapter 8, this frames a series of passages where Jesus gives ... Read More
Arkansas: Geologists Not Allowed to Tell Truth to Students
Sunday March 26, 2006
Evolution is not officially banned in Arkansas schools, but it has been unofficially removed by administrators and school boards who are afraid of upsetting fundamentalists. Teachers are actually ordered to ... Read More
Discussion: Would the World be Better without Religion?
Sunday March 26, 2006
A forum member writes: I really don't think so. Even though many atheists are rational (at least most on this forum are, to my knowledge), their rationality was the means ... Read More
Some Conservatives Admit to Being Homophobes
Sunday March 26, 2006
A significant number of conservatives are homophobic and this is why they are so opposed to civil and legal equality for gays. Unfortunately, most of them are unwilling to admit ... Read More
This Date in History: Catholic Politicians Told How to Vote
Sunday March 26, 2006
March 26, 1995: In the encyclical Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II ordered all Catholic voters, judges, and legislators to obey Vatican teaching in their decisions and votes: "In the ... Read More
Islam and Religion in Turkey
Sunday March 26, 2006
People concerned about the direction Islam is taking or may take should pay careful attention to Turkey. A Muslim society with a strong tradition of secularism and democracy (though imposed ... Read More
Mailbag: Atheism & Hope
Sunday March 26, 2006
From: "Lance"
Subject: I don't understand...
I stumbled onto your website and looked around a bit. Obviously, it didn't take long to figure out that you are an atheist. ... But in ... Read More
Capital Punishment, Catholicism and Cathars (Book Notes: Yellow Cross)
Sunday March 26, 2006
Today the Catholic Church stands resolutely against capital punishment. The validity of executions has not been rejected completely, but the situations in which they are licit are so narrow and ... Read More
Vatican & World War II
Sunday March 26, 2006
Book of the Day: Inside the Vatican of Pius XII: The Memoir of an America Diplomat, by William Tittman III. Publisher: Image Books.
World War II was a difficult time for ... Read More
Days of Easter Season: Easter is a Season of Holy Days, Not a Single Holiday
Saturday March 25, 2006
In Christianity, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe happened three days after he was buried. Easter is not an isolated holiday: it is the culmination of the ... Read More
Conservatives: Ideological Purity More Important than Ethics
Saturday March 25, 2006
You might have heard about the sad story of Ben Domenech: Republican extremist who has written lots of hateful, and even racist, material was hired by the Washington Post in ... Read More
Rick Duncan: Gay Rights Incompatible With Religious Liberty
Saturday March 25, 2006
Opposition to equal civil rights for gays comes in many forms. Religious conservatives are losing the argument that there is something necessarily wrong with homosexuality, so they appear to be ... Read More
This Date in History: Marcel Lefebvre
Saturday March 25, 2006
March 25, 1991: Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre of Switzerland dies in Martigny, Switzerland. Lefebvre had broken with Rome following the Second Vatican Council and, over the years, consecrated hundreds of priests ... Read More
Priests Abusing Children, Church Abusing Victims
Saturday March 25, 2006
It apparently wasn't bad enough that Catholic priests were abusing children and that Catholic bishops were covering up for the priests, moving them around so they could avoid punishment and ... Read More
Daily Poll: Medical Research with Human Embryo Stem Cells
Saturday March 25, 2006
Some researchers argue that the use of human stem cells take from embryos could lead to incredible advances in medical science - for example, cures for diseases like Parkinson's or ... Read More
Ego & Uniqueness (Book Notes: Religion of Paul the Apostle)
Saturday March 25, 2006
Quite a few Christians insist that Christianity isn't a religion, it's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The fact that Christianity, even as lived by such Christians, perfectly fits just ... Read More
Atheists Hated More than Gays, Muslims, All Other Groups
Friday March 24, 2006
Atheists are hated more than any other group in America. Surprised? Atheists know this very well, but a recent survey conducted by the University of Minnesota has provided new evidence ... Read More
Jihad: War and Violence in Islam
Friday March 24, 2006
Were you searching for more information about the Islamic concept of jihad? The nature of jihad is hotly debated in the press and even among Muslim theologians. Many apologists for ... Read More
Discussion: 100 Years From Now
Friday March 24, 2006
A forum member writes: It is the year 2104 and you have stepped out of your time machine. What do you see? How do people think Will there be more ... Read More
God's Senator: Sam Brownback Seeks Christian Fascism, Theocracy
Friday March 24, 2006
Sam Brownback is a Republican Senator from Kansas who would probably like to be President. The far Christian Right also seems to want him to be the next president because ... Read More
This Date in History: Terri Schiavo Appeals
Friday March 24, 2006
March 24, 2005: The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal brought by the parents of Terri Schiavo. Terri Schiavo fell into a coma brought on buy her bulimia ... Read More
Church/State Fundamentals: DiLotero v. Downey Unified School District (9th Circuit Court, 1999)
Friday March 24, 2006
Can a school refuse to publish or post a paid religious message if it allows other paid messages and advertisements? Can the school refuse to publish or post any paid ... Read More
Daily Poll: Pope John Paul II: Conservative or Liberal?
Friday March 24, 2006
Pope John Paul II was usually thought of as a conservative and it is true that he had done a great deal to bolster conservative forces within the Roman Catholic ... Read More
Constantine & Christianity: Political, Social Unity Through Religion (Book Notes: Christian World)
Friday March 24, 2006
Just about everyone familiar with Christian history realizes that Christians achieved its powerful position in the Roman empire because of the patronage of emperor Constantine. A question that vexes historians, ... Read More
Dictionary of Islam
Friday March 24, 2006
Book of the Day: The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, edited by John L. Esposito. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world; in some regions, it ... Read More
Plate Tectonics is Incapable of Being Scientifically Proven?
Thursday March 23, 2006
Creationists like to pretend to know something about science, but usually just end up demonstrating their ignorance. One good example is the attempt to 'prove' that evolution is incompatible with ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books from Oxford University Press
Thursday March 23, 2006
Oxford University Press publishes some of the most interesting and informative books currently being written on religion, philosophy, history, and politics. OUP is the world's largest university press and can ... Read More
Colloidal Silver
Thursday March 23, 2006
Were you searching for more information about Colloidal Silver? Once a common ingredient in a variety of alternative medical treatments, but primarily for killing bacteria, colloidal silver can be a ... Read More
Discussion: Universal Health Insurance
Thursday March 23, 2006
A forum member writes: This national/universal health care bit has been mentioned in the Seattle PI. I am not convinced that it is a good idea. After all, 85% of ... Read More
Free Speech Opponent Elected to Florida ACLU Board
Thursday March 23, 2006
Parvez Ahmed, chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was recently elected as an "at large" member of the Florida ACLU's board of directors. Parvez Ahmed is an opponent ... Read More
Carnival of the Liberals: Call for Submissions
Thursday March 23, 2006
The ninth edition of the Carnival of the Liberals is coming next week, on March 29th. I'd like all submissions by 6PM EST the Monday before, which is March 27th. ... Read More
This Date in History: Mountain Meadows Massacre
Thursday March 23, 2006
March 23, 1877: John Doyle Lee, a Mormon fanatic, was executed by a firing squad, Lee had masterminded a massacre of Arkansas Methodist emigrants in 1857. In the "Mountain Meadows ... Read More
Mailbag: Atheism & Evolution
Thursday March 23, 2006
From: "Jason"
Subject: Question
So, do atheists believe in evolution, since they believe there are no gods?
Most atheists do believe evolution, but they need not. Atheists don't believe in any gods - ... Read More
Daily Poll: Will there be Peace in the Middle East?
Thursday March 23, 2006
The largest source of violence and conflict in the world today must be the Middle East - especially where Israel and the Palestinians are concerned. Will there be a peaceful ... Read More
Sacred Time & Sacred Space in Cyberspace (Book Notes: Online Religion)
Thursday March 23, 2006
Religion has become an important aspect of the internet, with many people seeking religious information or even religious fellowship online. One possible conflict here is the fact that religions have ... Read More
Paradox and Philosophy
Thursday March 23, 2006
Book of the Day: A Brief History of the Paradox, by Roy Sorensen. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
The term paradox comes from the Greek paradoxos, which means "conflicting with expectation," and ... Read More
Did Tom Cruise Force the South Park 'Scientology' Episode to be Pulled?
Wednesday March 22, 2006
It's being reported that Tom Cruise has used his clout to get Comedy Central to cancel a repeat of the famous Scientology episode which portrays Cruise as being 'in the ... Read More
Crusades: Timeline of the Ottoman Empire on the Offensive, 1300 - 1600
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Although the Crusades themselves were long finished, Christian Europe continued to be under pressure from the expanding Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans would make impressive victories, including the capture of Constantinople, ... Read More
Martin Luther & the Reformation
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Were you searching for material about Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk who was largely responsible for initiating and driving the Protestant Reformation? Luther objected to what he regarded as a ... Read More
Discussion: Prayers At Sporting Events
Wednesday March 22, 2006
A forum member writes: Okay, all constitutional questions aside... I don't see why people would want to pray before a sporting event. It makes some vague sense to me, I ... Read More
Human Evolution Proceeding
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Every so often, someone repeats the claim or assumption that human evolution has essentially stopped because human culture and technology have so reduced environmental pressures on human survival (for example, ... Read More
This Date in History: Right to Contraceptives in America
Wednesday March 22, 2006
March 22, 1972: Decided: Eisenstadt v. Baird The right of people to have and know about contraceptives was expanded by the Supreme Court to unmarried couples because the right of ... Read More
Misusing Funds in Faith-Based Organizations
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Defenders of giving more money to religious charities often insist that religious groups are more efficient than the government and do more good than purely secular efforts. This doesn't mean ... Read More
Daily Poll: Should Selling Human Organs Be Legal?
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Some people think that if it were legal for people to sell their organs, or for a person's estate to tell a dead person's organs, then there would be more ... Read More
War Fever in America: Silencing and Punishing Dissent (Book Notes: Mencken)
Wednesday March 22, 2006
One of the most disturbing features of America's march towards invading and occupying Iraq was the treatment of those who disagreed. War dissenters were labeled traitors and "objectively pro-terrorist." It ... Read More
Does God Exist?
Wednesday March 22, 2006
Book of the Day: The Impossibility of God, edited by Michael Martin and Ricki Monnier. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
Does God exist? There's a great deal of debate on this question and ... Read More
Gays No Different than Neo-Nazis? KKK?
Tuesday March 21, 2006
Banning Irish gays from participating in the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade is getting to be as much of a tradition as wearing green. This seems to be ... Read More
What is Fundamentalism?
Tuesday March 21, 2006
Were you looking for information about religious fundamentalism? Fundamentalism is a religious position typically characterized by a rigid adherence to what are perceived to be the most basic and traditional ... Read More
Discussion: Is Homophobia Irrational? Dangerous?
Tuesday March 21, 2006
A forum member writes to an anti-gay forum member: If an individual contributes to a culture of prejudice against a group of people (by, for example, labelling them as "abnormal", ... Read More
This Date in History: Sex Abuse in the Catholic Church
Tuesday March 21, 2006
March 21, 2002: Pope John Paul II makes his first public statements about the scandal of sexual abuse of children by priests and the subsequent cover-ups: "As the church shows ... Read More
People in the Bible: Sadducees: Profile of Sadducees
Tuesday March 21, 2006
The Sadducees were a faction or interest group within Judaism. The label Sadducees derives from the Hebrew saddiqim, which means 'righteous ones.' It's uncertain whether this title originally came from ... Read More
Power and Violence: Who Has the Moral High Ground? (Book Notes: God and Power)
Tuesday March 21, 2006
In the so-called 'war on terrorism,' it's all too common to see conservatives try to justify barbaric actions of the U.S. government by pointing to even more barbaric actions by ... Read More
Manufacturing Nostalgia
Tuesday March 21, 2006
Book of the Day: Culture Industry, by Heinz Steinert. Publisher: Polity Press.
We are all surrounded every day by the culture industry - it influences what we eat, what we read, ... Read More
Philosophy of Science and Technology
Monday March 20, 2006
Were you searching for information about the philosophy of science and technology? Although this site does not specialize in that topic, we do have some information which might prove useful ... Read More
John B. Shea: Atheists Can't Tell Right from Wrong?
Monday March 20, 2006
Many theists arrogantly presume that their beliefs are required for being able to tell right from wrong, good from evil. People who don't share their beliefs (atheists) or who don't ... Read More
Discussion: Free Will vs. Determinism
Monday March 20, 2006
A forum member writes: There are a couple of possibilities where you can accept determinism and (maybe) still have some form of free will. One is that the brain is ... Read More
Faith-Based Fudging
Monday March 20, 2006
Many have probably heard that, according to a scientific study, prisoners who go through Charles Colson's InnerChange program have a lower recidivism rate. This is a religious program consisting of ... Read More
Oklahoma Votes to Segregate Gay-Themed Books in Libraries
Monday March 20, 2006
The Christian Right agenda to marginalize gays continues at a steady pace in Oklahoma where the state house voted to withdraw funding from public libraries that don't segregate materials with ... Read More
This Date in History: Aum Shinrikyo Terrorist Attack
Monday March 20, 2006
March 20, 1995: Several people died during a nerve-gas attack on the subway system of Tokyo, Japan, during the morning rush hour. Officials would later learn that the attack was ... Read More
Purpose and Meaning in Life
Monday March 20, 2006
It's common for religious theists to argue that only theistic religion (and preferably their theistic religion) can provide meaning and purpose in life. Irreligious atheists can't possibly have meaning or ... Read More
Mailbag: Truth About Mormonism
Monday March 20, 2006
From: "Luke"
Subject: Mormonism
I am writing in regards to the Mormonism section located within the atheism part of your web site. First I would like to say that I respect your ... Read More
Who's Responsible for Oppression? (Book Notes: The Church Enslaved)
Monday March 20, 2006
Oppression is, unfortunately, a common aspect of human life. All through history and all around the world, people struggle against oppression by others. Who is responsible for all this oppression, ... Read More
Deity for the New Millennium
Monday March 20, 2006
Recently Received: God.Com: A Deity for the New Millennium, by John A. Henderson. Publisher: Parkway Publishers.
Traditional conceptions of gods, for the most part, include characteristics that can only be described ... Read More
Famous Philosophers
Sunday March 19, 2006
Were you searching for more information about famous philosophers? This site has biographies - short and long - of dozens and dozens of important and influential philosophers from throughout history. ... Read More
Film Examining Christian Support for Nazi Party
Sunday March 19, 2006
The Baptist General Convention of Missouri showed at Columbia, Missouri, the one-hour documentary 'Theologians Under Hitler.' Based on the book Betrayal: German Churches and the Holocaust, it examines the relationship ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus on the Leaven of the Pharisees (Mark 8:14-21)
Sunday March 19, 2006
Throughout the gospels the primary opponents of Jesus have been the Pharisees. They keep challenging him and he keeps rejecting their authority. Here, Jesus contrasts himself with the Pharisees in ... Read More
Racing to Save a Nazi Church
Sunday March 19, 2006
Most Christians today don't have any conception of just how tightly intertwined Christianity and Nazism were in Germany. It's often assumed that they two were antagonistic; the truth, however, is ... Read More
Discussion: Too Nice to be an Atheist?
Sunday March 19, 2006
A forum member writes: Lots of people here have mentioned that theists have told them variations on "You're too nice/friendly/kind to be an atheist." It seems like there's a ... Read More
Same Sex Marriage is a Civil Matter
Sunday March 19, 2006
Arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage usually rely upon religion, religious premises, and religious beliefs. There is a problem with that: if the only arguments against allowing gays to ... Read More
Battling the Contraceptive Mentality
Sunday March 19, 2006
The so-called 'culture of life,' which is often little more than a love affair with the fetus, isn't just aiming to eliminate abortion; it's also aiming to eliminate contraception. More ... Read More
This Date in History: William Jennings Bryan
Sunday March 19, 2006
March 19, 1860: American politician and fundamentalist religious leader William Jennings Bryan was born.
Fantasy vs. Reality: Role of Ideology in America's Invasion of Iraq
Sunday March 19, 2006
It's common for people to counter the actions and arguments of the Bush administration with their own arguments based upon what they believe to be facts. This may be a ... Read More
Mailbag: Just Give God a Chance
Sunday March 19, 2006
From: "FRE"
Subject: hi
i'm now writing to criticize just to bring forth a suggestion. I know that atheism does not include God. In other words, atheists do not believe In the ... Read More
Daily Poll: Can Creationists Teach Evolution?
Sunday March 19, 2006
There are a lot of people out there who believe in creationism and some of them teach in public schools. At times, science teachers who are creationists have wanted to ... Read More
Torture and Unilateral Power (Book Notes: Religion, Politics, and the Christian Right)
Sunday March 19, 2006
The impact of torture on those who must suffer it is obvious, but torture also has wider implications for the rest of society. Even just the hint of torture possibly ... Read More
Thomas Jefferson / John Adams Correspondence
Sunday March 19, 2006
Recently Received: "Ye Will Say I Am No Christian": The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values, edited by Bruce Braden. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams ... Read More
Fortune Telling
Saturday March 18, 2006
Were you searching for more information about fortune telling and predicting the future? This site has a number of resources to help you learn about the various ways in which ... Read More
Studying Religion Scientifically
Saturday March 18, 2006
Religion is an ancient, widespread, and persistent aspect of human culture. It's importance and role in human history cannot be underestimated; because of all this, it makes sense to study ... Read More
Sikhs and Sikhism: Sikh Sects
Saturday March 18, 2006
The Sikh religion is not an entirely monolithic faith - there are several sects which are not recognized by the majority of Sikhs as orthodox in their teachings and beliefs. ... Read More
Daily Illini? Daily Cowards: Editor Fired by Email Over Cartoons
Saturday March 18, 2006
Acton Gorton was the editor of the Daily Illini who chose to publish some of the Danish cartoons of Muhammad. He was almost immediately suspended and even before this he ... Read More
Discussion: Atheist Etiquette During Prayer
Saturday March 18, 2006
A forum member writes: The setting is at the home of my in-laws, who are religious and raised my husband as a Christian (he even attended a Pentecostal church for ... Read More
Jesus: Lord or Lunatic?
Saturday March 18, 2006
Critical thinking skills are a precious commodity - far too precious, in fact. They reason why they are precious is that they are in such short supply. People need them ... Read More
Christian Abortion Rate as High as National Average; Catholic Rate is Higher
Saturday March 18, 2006
Conservative Christians oppose legal abortion, but do they oppose abortion enough to refuse to have abortions themselves? Maybe not: according to a study by The Center for Reason, the abortion ... Read More
This Date in History: Knights Templar Burned
Saturday March 18, 2006
March 18, 1314: Thirty-Nine French Knights Templar are burned at the stake.
Policing Behavior in Animal Groups
Saturday March 18, 2006
Some theists insist that the existence of morality is a sign that God must exist - after all, morality couldn't evolve, right? Well maybe it can. Not only are there ... Read More
Mailbag: Homosexuality
Saturday March 18, 2006
From: "Gary"
Subject: Homosexuality
I wanted to express my concern over the fact that the atheism news letter seems to be turning into the gay newsletter. I am not necessarily against gays ... Read More
Public Recognition of God and Jesus (Book Notes: Politics, Religion, and the Common Good)
Saturday March 18, 2006
It's common - far too common - for public officials to introduce god-talk into their public statements or speeches. This is often defended on the basis of most Americans believing ... Read More
Fundamentalism and American Culture
Saturday March 18, 2006
Recently Received: Fundamentalism and American Culture: The Shaping of Twentieth-Century Evangelicalism, 1870-1925, by George M. Marsden. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
The Christian Right is very powerful and influential in American politics ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses
Friday March 17, 2006
Were you searching for more information on this site about the Jehovah's Witnesses? A Christian group which was created by Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916 CE) in the late 19th Century, ... Read More
Saudi Women and Hypocrisy
Friday March 17, 2006
In Saudi Arabia, there are many restrictions on what women can and cannot do, can and cannot wear. In fact, their lives are restricted in a myriad of ways that ... Read More
Better to be a Fascist than Gay?
Friday March 17, 2006
As bad as being a fascist may be, at least it's not as bad as being gay, right? That's the opinion of Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini ... Read More
Discussion: Can't Believe the Things I Used to Believe...
Friday March 17, 2006
A forum member writes: Last night, I was flipping channels, and happened upon the "Catholic Channel," in which a nun (Mother Angelica) and two priests were discussing the Catholic practice ... Read More
Thank God for Slavery! New Republican Slogan...
Friday March 17, 2006
Most people today have trouble understanding how Christians in the past could have supported slavery and even owned slaves themselves. Such beliefs and behavior are just too foreign to today's ... Read More
This Date in History: Pat Robertson on Church/State Separation
Friday March 17, 2006
March 17, 2003: Speaking on the 700 Club, Pat Robertson expressed his support for the separation of church and state when the "church" in question involved a religion other than ... Read More
Varieties of Political Islam: Differences Between Islamists and Islamic Extremists
Friday March 17, 2006
In the West, discussions about Islamism and Islamic extremism tend to paint Muslims with a broad brush. This sort of attitude is a gross oversimplification between there are deep and ... Read More
Daily Poll: Is Religion the Answer to Today's Problems?
Friday March 17, 2006
There are those who feel that the only real way we will be able to solve today's problems is by turning to religion because religion (their religion, naturally) holds all ... Read More
Individualism, Greed, and the Christian Right (Book Notes: The Cheating Culture)
Friday March 17, 2006
Perhaps the most important catch-phrase of the Christian Right is 'family values' and a significant amount of their political, social, and cultural agenda is predicated on the defense of 'family ... Read More
Fear, Faith, Fact, Fantasy
Friday March 17, 2006
Recently Received: Fear, Faith, Fact, Fantasy, by John A. Henderson. Publisher: Parkway Publishers.
It's normal for people to be prejudiced in favor of religion and theism — although people may disagree ... Read More
Morals vs. Ethics
Thursday March 16, 2006
Were you searching for more information about the difference between morality and ethics, or perhaps information about what the study of morality and ethics are? The terms ethics and morality ... Read More
Supreme Court Won't Hear Case on Sculpture Critical of Catholicism
Thursday March 16, 2006
Back in 2003 Jerry Boyle created a sculpture which elicited howls of outrage when it was erected on the campus of Washburn University in Kansas. It's an unflattering bust of ... Read More
Christian Evangelist a Walking Set of Contradictions
Thursday March 16, 2006
The Rev. Tony Campolo does not fit into any easy categories. He's an evangelist and a fire-and-brimstone preacher, but he's also a social activist who believes in the separation of ... Read More
Jeff Jacoby Opposes Equal Humanity & Citizenship of Gays?
Thursday March 16, 2006
Does Jeff Jacoby hate gay Americans? He doesn't come right out and say that he hates them, but his comments on gay adoption wouldn't be treated as anything other than ... Read More
Discussion: Traditional Values & WalMart
Thursday March 16, 2006
A forum member writes: So, how about the next time someone tells you they want America to get back to "traditional values", ask them if they shop at Wal-Mart. By ... Read More
Should Politicians Swear to Uphold the Bible?
Thursday March 16, 2006
Democratically elected representatives are typically expected to swear to uphold the laws and the Constitution. Some, though, act like part of their job is to uphold their particular interpretation of ... Read More
This Date in History: ACLU vs. Ohio
Thursday March 16, 2006
March 16, 2001: Decided: ACLU v. Ohio The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Ohio motto, "With God All Things Are Possible" is indeed a religious slogan and, ... Read More
Daily Poll: Should Joseph Ratzinger Have Been Elected Pope Benedict XVI?
Thursday March 16, 2006
Many people, Catholic and non-Catholic have criticized the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. They argue that he is too conservative and has spent too much time fighting ... Read More
Civil Equality vs. Religious Bigotry (Book Notes: God vs. the Gavel)
Thursday March 16, 2006
Should the civil equality of all citizens, and especially members of minority groups, be limited by the bigotry and traditions of particular religious groups? On its face, that sounds like ... Read More
Biblical Interpretation
Thursday March 16, 2006
Book of the Day: The New Historicism, by Gina Hens-Piazza.
There exist many different methodologies used today by scholars for understanding and drawing meaning from biblical texts - and quite a ... Read More
Dalai Lama
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Were you searching for material related to the Dalai Lama? The Dalai Lamas, each a Buddhist monk, have been traditionally the spiritual and temporal leaders of Tibet, at least since ... Read More
Christianity Defending Capitalism
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Is Christianity a religion of the poor, the downtrodden, and the less fortunate among us or is it rather a religion for the rich, the very fortunate, and multinational corporations? ... Read More
Discussion: Abstinence and Abortion on the Republican Agenda
Wednesday March 15, 2006
A forum member writes: The real reason that Republicans don't want contraception taught is that it would drasticly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, and thereby reduce the number of ... Read More
Gay Adoptions, Immigration, and American Catholics
Wednesday March 15, 2006
On the east coast, Catholic Charities is discontinuing adoption services in Boston rather than continue to place kids with gay families. Conservatives are happy about this. On the west coast, ... Read More
Are Godless Atheists the Muslims' Best Friends?
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Atheists generally have no more liking for theism in a Muslim context than in a Christian or Jewish context. Precisely because of this dismissal of theism, however, atheists may be ... Read More
Carnival of the Liberals #8
Wednesday March 15, 2006
The eighth edition of the Carnival of the Liberals is now available at Brainshrub — and it’s in Haiku! That’s right, Paul took each entry and wrote a Haiku poem ... Read More
This Date in History: Nazis Raid Freud's Home
Wednesday March 15, 2006
March 15, 1938: Just one day after the Nazi occupation of Austria began, Sigmund Freud's home in Vienna was taken over by German soldiers who destroyed his private library. Later ... Read More
Ethnic Nationalism and Xenophobia
Wednesday March 15, 2006
What does it mean to be German, French, or Italian? This is a question which European nations are facing and having trouble answering. In America, simply being born here is ... Read More
Isaac Hayes to Leave South Park over Scientology Satire
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Since the very beginning of South Park, Isaac Hayes has been a part of the show. Also since the beginning, South Park has satirized and ridiculed religion, politics, and belief ... Read More
Daily Poll: Threat Posed by Anti-Abortion Protesters
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Anti-abortion protestors are a common sight at abortion clinics around the nation. Unfortunately, anti-abortion violence is also somewhat common - several doctors have been killed, in fact. Are the protestors ... Read More
Civil Marriage vs. Religious Marriage (Book Notes: Divided by God)
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Is marriage a civil right or a religious rite? This is the question which lies behind so many debates over issues like gay marriage. Some insist that marriage is a ... Read More
Mormonism & Christianity
Wednesday March 15, 2006
Book of the Day: One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church, by Richard Abanes.
Mormonism is one of the fastest growing religious groups in the United States. Some ... Read More
Judge Issues Secret Ruling Using Secret Evidence
Tuesday March 14, 2006
In America, today, President Bush can order secret wiretapping and surveillance performed on you. Secret evidence can then be used to get judges to issue secret rulings that even your ... Read More
Calvinism and Arminianism
Tuesday March 14, 2006
Were you searching for information about the differences between Calvinist and Arminian theology? Arminianism was a Protestant reaction to the more extreme forms of Calvinism which were predominant in the ... Read More
Holocaust Denial, Atheism, and Atheists in America
Tuesday March 14, 2006
I've written before about Larry Darby, his obsession with Jews, and his involvement with notorious Holocaust Denier David Irving (perhaps Holocaust Apologist would be more accurate, just as he is ... Read More
Sikhs and Sikhism: Sikh Khalsa
Tuesday March 14, 2006
The Khalsa is an organization of especially devout Sikhs created by the Tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, as a means to help unite the Sikhs and encourage devotion to Sikh ideals. ... Read More
Paul Hill: Martyr?
Tuesday March 14, 2006
On July 29, 1993 the Rev. Paul Hill shot and killed Dr. John Britton, an abortionist. For this crime, Hill was executed - but for many in the anti-abortion movement, ... Read More
Discussion: Atheism & Postmodernism
Tuesday March 14, 2006
A forum member writes: Postmodernism allows us to see how much of our lives is governed by the irrational. Even the great discoveries of science resulted not just from method ... Read More
This Date in History: Newdow vs. U.S. Congress
Tuesday March 14, 2006
March 14, 2002: Argued: Newdow v. U.S. Congress The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the addition of the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance back in ... Read More
Moving from Childhood, to Adolescence, to Adulthood
Tuesday March 14, 2006
What is the difference between being an adult and being a child? Just chronological age? Hardly. Education level? Not at all. There's no clear definition or line of distinction, but ... Read More
People in the Bible: Apostles of Jesus
Tuesday March 14, 2006
Apostle is an English transliteration of the Greek apostolos, which means 'one who is sent out.' In ancient Greek, an apostle might be any person 'sent out' to deliver news ... Read More
Religion and Israel: Religious Causes of Political Violence (Book Notes: Fighting Words)
Tuesday March 14, 2006
Why is there so much violence surrounding Israel? There is no simple explanation, but the fundamental role of religion cannot be dismissed. When you get right down to it, if ... Read More
Philosophy and Skepticism
Tuesday March 14, 2006
Book of the Day: The Philosopher's Toolkit: Philosophical Concepts and Methods, by Julian Baggini and Peter S. Fosl. Publisher: Blackwell Publishers.
If you spend much time discussing religion, politics, and philosophy, ... Read More
Integrating Passions and Reason
Monday March 13, 2006
It's common to think of passion (or emotion) and reason as being opposed: when a person wants to act reasonably, they attempt to set aside their emotions; when a person ... Read More
Muslims Ask for Cancellation of Voltaire Play
Monday March 13, 2006
It's not enough for artists and governments to censor current works or expression; now Muslims are demanding that classic works be censored because they might be perceived as too offensive ... Read More
Skepticism & Astrology: Introduction to Critiquing Astrology
Monday March 13, 2006
Because astrologers so often argue that astrology is scientific, it is reasonable to submit their specific claims to scientific scrutiny. Science is essentially a process of trial and error for ... Read More
Karl Marx & Religion
Monday March 13, 2006
Were you searching for more information about Karl Marx, Marxism, or Marxist critiques of religion? One person who attempted to examine religion from an objective, scientific perspective was Karl Marx. ... Read More
Crop Circles Provide Insight On Religion
Monday March 13, 2006
Crop Circles appear to be especially popular paranormal phenomena. Can they, then, tell us something important about how people form beliefs - even religious beliefs? That seems to be possible, ... Read More
Do Outspoken Atheists Hurt Evolution & Science?
Monday March 13, 2006
It's not just enough that atheists and religious skeptics have to sit down and shut up in the field of politics rather than criticize the Christianity people are pushing in ... Read More
This Date in History: Scopes Monkey Trial
Monday March 13, 2006
March 13, 1925: Tennessee's upper house passed 24-6 the Butler Act, a law which would prohibit the teaching of evolution in public schools. This law would later be challenged in ... Read More
Knee-Jerk Left Scorning Religious Politicians
Monday March 13, 2006
Is Amy Sullivan capable of writing about religion without saying something false, something stupid, or something insulting? Probably, but she hasn't been demonstrating that ability lately. Recently she suggested that ... Read More
Religions Creating a New Society (Book Notes: New Religious Movements)
Monday March 13, 2006
Religion can be a useful resource for critiques of the wider society. Because religions attempt to derive values and ideals from sources which believers think are transcendent, it's possible for ... Read More
Silence and Denial in Everyday Life
Monday March 13, 2006
Recently Received: The Elephant in the Room: Silence and Denial in Everyday Life, by Eviatar Zerubavel. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA.
People like to talk, but people also seem to have ... Read More
Types of Religion, Defining Religion
Sunday March 12, 2006
Were you searching for information on different types of religion or on how to define religion? Defining religion must take into account the fact that there are several different types ... Read More
Atheist Wins Discrimination Suit Against Catholic School
Sunday March 12, 2006
Last year, I wrote about David McNab, a math teacher in a Catholic school near Glasgow who was denied a promotion to "teacher of pastoral care" because he's an atheist. ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Demands for a Sign from Jesus: Pharisees (Mark 8:10-13)
Sunday March 12, 2006
In this famous passage, Jesus refuses to provide a 'sign' to the Pharisees who are 'tempting' him. Christians today use this in one of two ways: to argue that the ... Read More
Southern Honor and American Foreign Policy
Sunday March 12, 2006
The concept of honor is very ancient and even venerable - but sometimes it can cause more problems than it solves. Basically speaking, honor is the desire to maintain high ... Read More
Discussion: Is 'Lucy' a Fake?
Sunday March 12, 2006
A forum member writes: I was having a discussion the other day with a friend of mine and, as usual, the topic turned to religion. During the discussion we talked ... Read More
Symbolic vs. Literal Interpretations of the Bible
Sunday March 12, 2006
There is a lot of debate among scholars about the nature of the Bible and just how historically accurate its various tales are. Some favor a literal interpretation that takes ... Read More
This Date in History: First Female Anglican Priest
Sunday March 12, 2006
March 12, 1994: The first female priest was ordained into the Church of England in a ceremony in Bristol.
Hate Crimes: Do they Punish Unpopular Speech, Thoughts? (Book Notes: Hiding from Humanity)
Sunday March 12, 2006
Many people believe and argue that so-called 'hate crimes' are really just attempts to criminalize unpopular ideas and speech. The label certainly gives that impression because it seems to make ... Read More
Conversations on Consciousness
Sunday March 12, 2006
Recently Received: Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human, by Susan Blackmore. Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA.
We ... Read More
Religion in Schools, Religion in Public Schools
Saturday March 11, 2006
Were you searching for more information about the status or role of religion in public schools? America's public schools are a regular source of debates and controversy over the separation ... Read More
Woman Fired for Liberal Politics
Saturday March 11, 2006
With so many conservatives insisting that liberals and traitors and that war criticism undermined the war effort, it was only a matter of time before someone was stupid enough to ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on Jesus, Jesus' Life, Historicity, Impact
Saturday March 11, 2006
Who was Jesus of Nazareth, the person revered by Christians as the messiah? Did he really exist? If so, what did he do, what were his goals? Does he continue ... Read More
Who Are You Calling Evil?
Saturday March 11, 2006
Religious language is common in politics - it gives voice to many shared ideas, ideals, and values. Religious language communicates in a manner that more secular arguments are unable to ... Read More
Discussion: Court Oaths
Saturday March 11, 2006
A forum member writes: I've been subpoenaed to appear in Court next week. I am not sure of the alternatives to placing your hand on the Bible and saying "...so ... Read More
Religious Biases in Danish Cartoon Debate
Saturday March 11, 2006
One of the arguments made against the publication of the Danish cartoons of Muhammad is that they portray all Muslims as terrorists when, in fact, suicide bombers aren't 'true' Muslims ... Read More
This Date in History: Being Force to Salute the American Flag
Saturday March 11, 2006
March 11, 1943: Argued: West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that a school district violated the rights of students by forcing them to ... Read More
America's Christian Right vs. Constitutional Liberty
Saturday March 11, 2006
A couple of years ago, a poll of Americans revealed that few knew what rights were guaranteed them by the Constitution and not many more actually agreed with what was ... Read More
Daily Poll: Teaching Intelligent Design Alongside Evolution
Saturday March 11, 2006
Some argue that if a public school teaches about evolution, then students should also be taught about Intelligent Design. This is called 'Balanced Treatment' - the ideas is, schools should ... Read More
Book of the Week: Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American Slavery
Saturday March 11, 2006
Image courtesyPriceGrabber.com
The history of slavery in America may not be hidden, but widely unknown is the degree to which Christianity was used to defend not only slavery but also later ... Read More
Women and Christianity: Forcing Women into Subbordinate Positions (Book Notes: Who Shall Lead Them?)
Saturday March 11, 2006
Women have made great strides when it comes to achieving political and social equality in America, though at times this is difficult to perceive given how far short America has ... Read More
Born Amish
Saturday March 11, 2006
Recently Received: Born Amish, by Ruth I. Garrett and Deborah Morse-Kahn. Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Ruth I. Garrett is a woman who grew up in a tightly-knit Amish community and then ... Read More
Existentialism, Existentialist Philosophy, Existentialist Philosophers
Friday March 10, 2006
Were you searching for more information about existentialism, existentialist philosophy, or existentialist philosophy? Existential philosophy is more a trend or attitude than it is coherent school or movement because it ... Read More
Funding for Cancer Research Cut; Acupuncture Funding Remains Steady
Friday March 10, 2006
What's more important, fighting the 'war' on terrorism or fighting cancer? Cancer kills far more people than terrorism, but the administration continues to invest large amounts of money in Bush's ... Read More
Protesting Misogyny in Iran
Friday March 10, 2006
International Women's Day was on March 8 and some marked the day by holding a 'Great Walk Against Anti-Women Punitive Laws in Iran's Islamic Republic' that travelled through three major ... Read More
Politics of Christianity
Friday March 10, 2006
Elaine Pagels is a well-known researcher into early Christian history and beliefs - her book The Gnostic Gospels (1979) has become a standard work on early Christian Gnosticism. Her ideas ... Read More
Discussion: Women in the Military
Friday March 10, 2006
A forum member writes: I am sure most remember the assertion being made that the nation would never accept having their daughters come home in body bags.
Now that we are ... Read More
This Date in History: Catholicism and Test-Tube Fertilization
Friday March 10, 2006
March 10, 1987: The Vatican issued a formal declaration to express its opposition to test-tube fertilization, embryo transfer, and most forms of scientific involvement in human reproduction.
Church/State Fundamentals: ACLU v. McCreary County (Supreme Court, 2005)
Friday March 10, 2006
Many Ten Commandments monuments in America are decades old, but various local governments put up new displays as well. McCreary County, Kentucky, put up a Ten Commandments display in the ... Read More
God as Designer: Does God's Mind Evince Signs of Design? (Book Notes: The Atheists Debater's Handbook)
Friday March 10, 2006
People who argue that the universe is designed face numerous problems and contradictions in their arguments. One of the most interesting is that if everything with a useful purpose is ... Read More
Resurrection of Jesus
Friday March 10, 2006
Recently Received: The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan And N.T. Wright in Dialogue, by Robert B. Stewart. Publisher: Fortress Press.
Christians around the world hold diverse views on just about ... Read More
Sodomized Virgin Exception to Abortion Bans
Thursday March 9, 2006
Most people who oppose legalized abortion are willing to make exceptions for cases of rape and/or incest. This is inconsistent with the principles of the anti-choice position, but the new ... Read More
Crusades: Timeline of the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Crusades, 1245 - 1300
Thursday March 9, 2006
Led by King Louis IX of France, the Seventh and Eighth Crusades were complete failures. In the Seventh Crusade Louis sailed to Egypt in 1248 and recaptured Damietta, but after ... Read More
Christians Criticize "Left Behind" Theology
Thursday March 9, 2006
Many people may believe that the theology which forms the basis for the bestselling Left Behind series of books is somehow standard to Christianity - but it's not. As a ... Read More
Discussion: What If There Was No Life After Death?
Thursday March 9, 2006
A forum member writes: I understand that the majority of people in the world believe in some form of afterlife. How would the world be different if most people believed ... Read More
Intelligent Design Dishonesty: Creating Extremism to Attack
Thursday March 9, 2006
Intelligent Design is almost entirely based upon criticism of evolution and science - it has nothing of substance to offer itself. Because of this need for something to criticize, it ... Read More
This Date in History: Eugenics Sterilization in America
Thursday March 9, 2006
March 09, 1907: The first U.S. eugenic sterilization law was passed by the Indiana legislature. This law allowed for sterilization of "confirmed criminals, idiots, imbeciles, and rapists." By 1917, fourteen ... Read More
What is there to Smile About?
Thursday March 9, 2006
Are you happy? If so, have you ever thought about why? Smiling is something that people may take for granted, imagining that being happy is biological rather than cultural. In ... Read More
Daily Poll: Do You Believe in Reincarnation?
Thursday March 9, 2006
Reincarnation plays an important role in many religions - even atheistic religions like some forms of Buddhism. If reincarnation is true, then our lives don't really end with our physical ... Read More
Blending Christianity and Science in the Service of Political Ideology (Book Notes: The Holy Reich)
Thursday March 9, 2006
The conflicts between religious faith and empirical science seems to be continual, but just as continual are the efforts to find some middle ground where both can co-exist. It's important ... Read More
Immigrants & Religion
Thursday March 9, 2006
Book of the Day: New Faiths, Old Fears: Muslims and Other Asian Immigrants in American Religious Life, by Bruce B. Lawrence.
America has traditionally been "Christian" in character, in the sense ... Read More
Saint Patrick: Profile and Biography of Saint Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland
Wednesday March 8, 2006
Bishop and apostle to Ireland, Patrick came from a highly religious family in Britain (his father was a deacon, his grandfather a priest) who spent time as a slave among ... Read More
Ohio Democrat Wants Death Penalty for Homosexuals
Wednesday March 8, 2006
Merrill Keiser, Jr., of Fremont, Ohio, is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. It's unlikely that he'll actually win the nomination of the Democratic Party, but he's making ... Read More
Mixed-Faith Marriages: Cruel?
Wednesday March 8, 2006
Are marriages between Christians and atheists a bad idea? Some think so - including some atheists. Some Christians, however, find the idea to be positively outrageous. According to them, such ... Read More
Discussion: Why Are Organ Sales Banned?
Wednesday March 8, 2006
A forum member writes: Thousands of people die needless deaths every year because of a lack of transplant organs. Many times more people die every year taking organs that could ... Read More
Science and the Beginning of Life
Wednesday March 8, 2006
According to many religious believers, and especially by proponents of Intelligent Design, there can't be any scientific explanation for the beginning of life. Fortunately scientists aren't listening to such nonsense ... Read More
This Date in History: Women Voting in Afghanistan
Wednesday March 8, 2006
March 08, 2004: During a speech marking International Women's Day, Afghan President Hamid Karzai encouraged men to let female relatives vote in upcoming election, but also suggested that they control ... Read More
Blaming Evolution for All Society's Ills
Wednesday March 8, 2006
The Christian Right seems to believe that if only everyone followed their brand of Christianity faithfully, everything in society would be good and right. The presence of social problems thus ... Read More
Daily Poll: Are Jews Today Responsible for Jesus' Death?
Wednesday March 8, 2006
For the longest time Christians treated Jews as 'Christ killers' - even though they lived hundred of years after Jesus would have died, all Jews were treated as being responsible ... Read More
Leap of Faith: Reason in Religion vs. Philosophy (Book Notes: Why Atheism?)
Wednesday March 8, 2006
What is more important: what you believe or why you believe it? Both are certainly important and it may be difficult to argue that one definitely surpasses the other, but ... Read More
Bible History
Wednesday March 8, 2006
Book of the Day: Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible, edited by John Rogerson.
Who wrote the Bible? How is it used, and what are the different translations like? These questions ... Read More
Puritanism vs. Pornography: Contradictions of America's Culture
Tuesday March 7, 2006
America is more religious and had more religious diversity than most nations in the world - certainly more than other industrial nations of the West. America also produces more popular ... Read More
Catholic Saints: What is a Saint? How Does One Become a Saint?
Tuesday March 7, 2006
The label saint is used in a special sense in the Roman Catholic Church for those people believed to have entered God's presence in heaven and thus can provide special ... Read More
America is a Religion
Tuesday March 7, 2006
Many people regard America as being an idea or ideal - but is it a religious idea? There may be some merit to that. Many of the first colonists in ... Read More
Discussion: Friends & Religious Extremism
Tuesday March 7, 2006
A forum member writes: One of my friends, a British Asian [his parents are from Pakistan], experienced a "crisis of faith" as a result of the UK government's actions against ... Read More
Should Schools Teach Both Sides of Mormon History & Genetics?
Tuesday March 7, 2006
Mormon faith is predicated upon a simple and testable idea: ancient Hebrews traveled to the Americas and established here a civilization. Whether this is true or not can be determined ... Read More
This Date in History: Changing How Mass is Celebrated
Tuesday March 7, 2006
March 07, 1965: Celebrating mass at a parish church in Italy, Pope Paul VI faced the congregation instead of having his back to it as had been the custom for ... Read More
Blogsnark: Amy Sullivan: Democrats Should Abandon Secularism, Atheists Should Shut Up?
Tuesday March 7, 2006
It seems that everyone has a different idea about what the Democrats should do in order to be more competitive with the Republicans, especially when it comes to national political ... Read More
Daily Poll: Are War Protesters Unethical or Unpatriotic?
Tuesday March 7, 2006
Some people complain about those who protest against war - specifically, the war in Iraq. It is alleged that they are unpatriotic for not supporting the government and unethical for ... Read More
Making People Think That They Think: How Evangelists Work (Book Notes: Losing Faith in Faith)
Tuesday March 7, 2006
The similarities between religious evangelism and sales run deep and are not coincidental: evangelists are trying to sell something and, like all sales people, use standard social and psychological techniques ... Read More
Palestine & Israel
Tuesday March 7, 2006
Book of the Day: The Palestine-Israeli Conflict: A Beginner's Guide, by Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Dawoud El-Alami.
Few people are unaware of the violence which is currently plaguing the Middle East today, especially ... Read More
Religion vs. Justice: Sex Offender Won't Wear Monitor
Monday March 6, 2006
Scott Smith, a convicted sex offender in Iowa, should be required to wear an electronic monitor as part of a condition of not going to prison. He, however, argues that ... Read More
Book Reviews: Books on Judaism, Jews, Jewish History, Beliefs, Antisemitism
Monday March 6, 2006
Judaism is one of the oldest religions still actively followed today. Judaism is the 'parent' religion of Christianity, Islam, and the faiths which grew out of them. Learning more about ... Read More
Evangelical Forces Reshaping Liberal Mainline Christianity
Monday March 6, 2006
Mainline Protestant churches have long been an important force for theological liberalism in Christianity - but for how much longer? This status may not last because conservative evangelicals are hard ... Read More
Discussion: Is 'Moral Atheism' a Contradiction in Terms?
Monday March 6, 2006
A forum member writes: I see all atheists who sincerely profess or advocate certain moral positions as irrational ideologues. If there is no God, then all moral values and standards ... Read More
Expanding Exemptions so Healthcare Workers Don't Have to Do Their Jobs
Monday March 6, 2006
Why don't conservatives in America think that healthcare professionals should have to do their jobs? Because sometimes doing their jobs means participating in decisions which violates religious beliefs. This may ... Read More
This Date in History: Clean Monday
Monday March 6, 2006
March 06, 2006: Clean Monday: in Eastern Orthodox churches, this date marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of penitential preparation of Easter.
Is Peace Always Good? Is War Always Bad?
Monday March 6, 2006
Most people's general inclination is to prefer peace to war - and that's as it should be, since the absence of death and destruction is generally a preferable situation. The ... Read More
Religion and Morality in Modern Society (Book Notes: God's Defenders)
Monday March 6, 2006
It's popular for religious believers to insist that their religion, or even just religion generally, is critical for the existence of good morals. Why? Perhaps it's because in the modern ... Read More
Virginia: Teacher Denied Right to Promote Religion in Classroom
Sunday March 5, 2006
Last year, I wrote about a Spanish teacher in York County, Virginia, whose religious posters were taken down by school officials because they effectively promoted religion. William Lee sued on ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand (Mark 8:1-9)
Sunday March 5, 2006
At the end of chapter 6, we saw Jesus feeding five thousand men (just men, not women and children) with five loaves and the two fishes. Here Jesus feeds four ... Read More
Obey God's Law, Not Man's Law
Sunday March 5, 2006
Apparently, American courts and politicians have betrayed God by putting their own liberal, atheistic preferences in front of His will and laws. They are guilty of "high treason against God’s ... Read More
Discussion: What Is a Christian?
Sunday March 5, 2006
A forum member writes: What is a Christian? ... What I want to hear, are people's views on Christianity, what does it mean to you? Good and bad and why. ... Read More
Developments in America's Civil Religion
Sunday March 5, 2006
America has something known as 'civil religion,' which is an amalgamation of religion or religious ritual with civic rituals, public government, and other civil functions. Traditionally, the 'religion' portion has ... Read More
This Date in History: Zionist Terrorism
Sunday March 5, 2006
March 05, 1947: A group of Jewish mayors in the area around Tel Aviv joined with the Rabbinical Council of Palestine to issue a harsh condemnation of Zionist terrorist groups ... Read More
Oligarchy and Capitalism Abroad
Sunday March 5, 2006
Americans sometimes complain about how much of society is controlled by so few powerful individuals and companies. The situation in America, however, is practically a paradise when compared to the ... Read More
Crusades: Timeline of the Sixth Crusade, 1222 - 1244
Sunday March 5, 2006
Launched in 1228, the Sixth Crusade achieved some small measure of success - though not by military might. It was led by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, King ... Read More
Daily Poll: What is the Current State of Science Education?
Sunday March 5, 2006
Scientific literacy is crucial in today's world. Science has become such an integral part of so much that we do and need that, if a person isn't familiar with basic ... Read More
Islamic Dress in French Schools & Multiculturalism (Book Notes: In the Shadow of the Prophet)
Sunday March 5, 2006
In many Western nations, Muslims are experiencing legal battles over whether women have a right to wear sectarian Muslim dress - specifically, a hijab which largely covers a women from ... Read More
Parables of Jesus
Sunday March 5, 2006
Recently Received: The Parables of Jesus, by Luise Schottroff, Linda M. Maloney. Publisher: Fortress Press.
That Jesus taught through the medium of parables is well known and unremarkable; because of this, ... Read More
Christians Criticize Christian Zionists
Saturday March 4, 2006
Some Christians in America oppose any "peace plan" in the Middle East that might entail Israel giving up control over "biblical" lands and allowing for the creation of an independent, ... Read More
Discussion: Choosing the Gender of your Baby
Saturday March 4, 2006
A forum member writes: Is it immoral or unethical to choose the gender of your baby? If you are carrying a fetus that is not the desired gender is it ... Read More
Interracial Marriage: Equal Rights vs. Special Rights
Saturday March 4, 2006
When interracial couples fought for the right to marry each other, were they asking for equal rights or special rights? They claimed that they wanted the same rights as same-race ... Read More
This Date in History: Index of Forbidden Books
Saturday March 4, 2006
March 04, 1616: The Congregation of the Index issues a decree prohibiting the publishing of any books that maintain the truth of Copernicanism.
Cooperation and Obedience: Political Surrender to the Oppressive (Book Notes: Fear)
Saturday March 4, 2006
How to oppressive regimes manage to so completely control a population? Not directly - that would take far too much work, money, and resources. Instead, such regimes maintain their power ... Read More
Carl Sagan
Saturday March 4, 2006
Recently Received: Conversations with Carl Sagan, edited by Tom Head. Publisher: University Press of Mississippi.
Carl Sagan was one of the most important scientists of the latter half of the 20th ... Read More
Guantanamo Bay Military Base
Friday March 3, 2006
Were you searching for more information about the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba? The detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has become a symbol for America’s war on terrorism. ... Read More
Christian Conservatives Decry Atheists Seeking Equal Rights
Friday March 3, 2006
Atheists in America are starting to become more assertive in their demands to be treated as fully equal citizens - and they are taking notes from the gay rights movement ... Read More
Ignorance is Not Bliss: Sex Education in Public Schools
Friday March 3, 2006
Abstinence-only sex education in public schools is popular among religious conservatives and evangelicals (assuming that they permit any sex education at all), but are such programs effective? Just as importantly, ... Read More
Discussion: Atheists in the Closet
Friday March 3, 2006
A forum member writes: I still love my family, in-laws and everything, though sometimes it's extremely difficult to put up with their religion. I'm still a recent de-convert, only having ... Read More
All the News that Halal
Friday March 3, 2006
Few developments in the modern American media have been as depressing as how newspapers and television news programs have fallen all over themselves to avoid reproducing the Danish cartoons of ... Read More
This Date in History: Comstock Laws & Obscenity
Friday March 3, 2006
March 03, 1873: The first federal anti-obscenity law, the "Comstock law," was passed. The law, which amended the 1872 federal obscenity law, was intended for the welfare of children and ... Read More
Freedom of Expression and Poking Fun at Religion
Friday March 3, 2006
Protecting freedom of expression and speech is absolutely critical for freedom in a liberal democratic society. When freedom of expression is not protected, the result is oppression and tyranny. Should ... Read More
Church/State Fundamentals: Van Orden v. Perry (Supreme Court, 2005)
Friday March 3, 2006
Court houses and public parks all around the nation have had Ten Commandments monuments of one sort or another erected in them. Many Ten Commandments monuments were erected by the ... Read More
Daily Poll: When Would Torture Be Justified?
Friday March 3, 2006
Some people argue that while torture is wrong, in extreme cases it would be justified to use torture in order to get information that would save large numbers of people. ... Read More
Jehovah's Witnesses' Resistance to Hitler and the Nazis (Book Notes: Hitler’s Prisons)
Friday March 3, 2006
It's a common conceit among Christians that their religion was in opposition to the Nazi regime of Germany. The truth, however, is that most Christians either went along with the ... Read More
Pride
Friday March 3, 2006
Recently Received: Pride: The Seven Deadly Sins, by Michael Eric Dyson. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
People are told not to be too proud of themselves, their accomplishments, and their behavior. On ... Read More
Modern American Conservatism as a Political Religion
Thursday March 2, 2006
It's far too common for some conservatives to react towards disagreement not simply as an honest difference of political opinions, but as a person affront and something which needs to ... Read More
Bias and Discrimination Among Navy Chaplains
Thursday March 2, 2006
One of the dangers inherent in allowing the government to fund chaplains in the military is that there may exist biases and discrimination in favor of some religious orientations and ... Read More
Conservatives' Double Standards on Free Speech and Censorship
Thursday March 2, 2006
Conservatives in America have reacted very strongly against the failure of American newspapers to reprint the Danish cartoons of Muhammad. Conservatives have tried to argue in defense of free speech, ... Read More
Sikhs and Sikhism: Sikh Debates
Thursday March 2, 2006
Like any religion, Sikhism has both its conservative and progressive aspects. As a result, many of the religious conflicts which occur within the Sikh community are between those who are ... Read More
Gay Marriage vs. Miscegenation
Thursday March 2, 2006
A lot of people oppose the legalization of gay marriages - for them, this poses a serious threat to the institution of marriage itself. Now, it is entirely possible that ... Read More
Discussion: Atheist for President?
Thursday March 2, 2006
A forum member writes: I've been wondering a lot lately why an American who is an atheist or secularist cannot be President. ...For those of you who live in countries ... Read More
Where are the Religious Moderates?
Thursday March 2, 2006
In America, the most vocal Christians also tend to be the most conservative and right-wing. We don't hear much religious talk from moderate and liberal Christians. In some ways, that's ... Read More
This Date in History: Gay Catholic Priests
Thursday March 2, 2006
March 02, 2002: Joaquin Nvarro-Valls, Vatican spokesman, says to reporters: "People with these inclinations [towards homosexuality] just cannot be ordained."
What Makes a War Just?
Thursday March 2, 2006
The morality of war is an interesting and vexing question. Ideally, of course, war would never happen and never be morally licit - so much death and destruction really can't ... Read More
Daily Poll: What's George W. Bush's Job Performance Like?
Thursday March 2, 2006
Some people think that George W. Bush is doing a fantastic job - especially where the fight against terrorism is concerned. Others, however, think that he is one of the ... Read More
American Foreign Policy & Democracy (Book Notes: America Right Or Wrong)
Thursday March 2, 2006
Some believe that the neoconservative perspective on foreign policy is, if nothing else, animated by important moral principles - even if neoconservatives are wrong, at least their motives are good. ... Read More
Conservative Catholic Sects
Thursday March 2, 2006
Book of the Day: The Pope's Armada: Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church, by Gordon Urquhart.
Are the ultratraditionalist movements in the Roman Catholic Church ... Read More
Pastor Wants Council Prayers Limited to Jews, Christians
Wednesday March 1, 2006
In Hartville, Ohio, some citizens and members of the village council want to start council meetings with prayers - not generic prayers, but explicitly Christian and Jewish prayers, thus excluding ... Read More
Christians Who Won't Go See Brokeback Mountain
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Quite a few Christians are avoiding the movie Brokeback Mountain. Why? Well, apparently many of them fear that they will find the depiction of homosexuality as "normal" to be too ... Read More
One Nation Under Religious Freedom
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Is this one nation under God or one nation under religious freedom? The two aren't compatible: whereas the latter requires that all religious beliefs be accorded the same legal status, ... Read More
Discussion: Women Changing Names in Marriage
Wednesday March 1, 2006
A forum member writes: When I decided to get married, I never really considered or entertained changing my name. I was 34, and had never been married, had never had ... Read More
Should Religious Groups Endorse Political Candidates?
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Some people believe that the separation of church and state prevents churches from being politically active, but that's not true. Churches can participate in political campaigns all they want - ... Read More
This Date in History: John Hus
Wednesday March 1, 2006
March 01, 1420: Pope Martin V called for crusade against followers of John Hus.
Daily Poll: Should Doctors Be Able to Use Fetal Tissue for Research?
Wednesday March 1, 2006
There is a lot of promising research that could be done using fetal tissue - stem-cell research is just one, although it is the best known. But would that simply ... Read More
Evolution, Christian Fundamentalism, and Morality (Book Notes: Ungodly Women)
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Fundamentalists' objections to evolution and science aren't based upon science itself - they don't reject evolution because it's not good science. Their objections are, instead, a product of their belief ... Read More
American Jews in the Heartland
Wednesday March 1, 2006
Book of the Day: Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America, by Stephen G. Bloom.
In theory, Americans pride themselves and their country on the tolerance shown towards outsiders and ... Read More