John McCain: America a Christian Nation, Based on Christian Principles
Sunday September 30, 2007
John McCain, 2007Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images
What does it take for a politician in modern America to be willing to uphold even rudimentary principles and facts of the Constitution? ... Read More
Atheism Basics Reasons Why Atheists Don't Believe in Gods
Sunday September 30, 2007
A common question which atheists hear a lot is 'why don't you believe in God?' Theists, religious or not, have trouble imagining why anyone would not believe in at least ... Read More
Christian Nationalism & Christian Militarism: Traitors Go to Hell
Sunday September 30, 2007
Evidently some "patriotic" counter-protestors are attending demonstrations against America's occupation of Iraq and displaying a sign saying "Traitors Go To Hell." Is this a command that the anti-war demonstrators are ... Read More
Mailbag: Meaning of Life
Sunday September 30, 2007
From: "Dave"
Subject: Life is Meaningless
Life is meaningless wy should i or any one else try to make scence of jesus or any other god. ultimatly being a athiest leads you ... Read More
Norse Mythology is the Best Religious Choice
Saturday September 29, 2007
Many Christians are convinced that not only is theirs the only true and valid religion, but also that this should be obvious to anyone who looks. Is it really so ... Read More
Christian Supremacy: Pushing the Dhimmitude of Non-Christians in America
Saturday September 29, 2007
In America, the notion of Christian Supremacy encompasses both a moral attitude and a political program. In the moral realm, Christian Supremacy is the idea that Christianity is superior to ... Read More
Sex Education in India: Hindu Nationalists Deny it's Necessary
Saturday September 29, 2007
When people think about religious opposition to sex education, they probably think about conservative evangelical and fundamentalist Christians in America. Even many Europeans have heard about this problem and probably ... Read More
Adolf Hitler on Secularism, Atheism: Quotes from Hitler Opposing Secularism & Atheism
Saturday September 29, 2007
Claims from Christian apologists about Adolf Hitler being an example of the evils committed by secularism and atheism are effectively refuted by Hitler's own words condemning secularism and atheism. Adolf ... Read More
Mary Midgley: Atheism & Darwinism are Morally Pernicious
Friday September 28, 2007
Arguments against atheism and evolutionary theory don't simply proceed on the premise that they are incorrect or logically invalid. Much of the time, religious theists are actually trying to argue ... Read More
Neurobiology of Politics, Atheism, and Religion
Friday September 28, 2007
CT Scan of the Human BrainPhoto: Stockbyte / Getty Images
The brain is far more complex than most people probably realize, which means that the mind is also far more complex ... Read More
Fundamentalist Atheists, Fundamentalist Atheism: They Don't Exist
Friday September 28, 2007
More and more people are responding to atheist critiques of religion or theism by labeling the person a 'fundamentalist' atheist. Atheists are told that they are 'intolerant' when they criticize ... Read More
Secular Education a 'Political Impossibility' in Britain
Thursday September 27, 2007
There have been a lot of debates in Britain lately about the status of "faith schools" which are organized around promoting and defending one particular religious tradition. Apparently, it's appropriate ... Read More
Lee Strobel's Case Against Christ: Apologetics Backfiring
Thursday September 27, 2007
Apologists usually write for the sake of convincing people to convert to their particular religion, though in practical terms their work seems to be more about helping current believers think ... Read More
Weekly Poll: Do Atheists Support Teaching Intelligent Design?
Thursday September 27, 2007
Peter King: Too Many Mosques in America
Wednesday September 26, 2007
U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY), ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security CommitteePhoto: Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Rep. Peter King from New York, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Audience of Mark’s Gospel: For Whom Was the Gospel According to Mark Written?
Wednesday September 26, 2007
For whom was Mark writing? It is easier to make sense of the text if we read it in light of what the author intended, and that in turn would ... Read More
Deal Hudson on Atheists: 'We Hate Bush, So There is No God'
Wednesday September 26, 2007
Sometimes, rather than directly address any of the logical, philosophical, or scientific arguments which secular atheists make against theistic religion, some apologists ignore it all and instead attack what they ... Read More
Forum Discussion: God as an Abusive Father
Wednesday September 26, 2007
When nonbelievers look carefully at stories in the Old Testament about God's relationship with his "children," it can be difficult to avoid the conclusion that the relationship looks an awful ... Read More
Has Pope Benedict XVI Washed his Hands of the McCann Family?
Tuesday September 25, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI meetsGerry & Kate McCannPhoto: Pool / Getty Images
Most people have probably heard about the McCann family's search for their missing daughter — and the suspicion that the ... Read More
Sacred Sites: Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem - Did Jesus Walk Here to his Crucifixion?
Tuesday September 25, 2007
Via Dolorosa is Latin for the 'way of sorrows' or 'way of pain.' It is an important pilgrimage route for Christians in Jerusalem to commemorate the path taken by Jesus ... Read More
Loving Christians Vandalize Atheist Activist's Home
Tuesday September 25, 2007
Rob Sherman, an outspoken atheist and activist on behalf of church/state separation, had his house vandalized with eggs and religious graffiti. It's surely not a coincidence that just days ago ... Read More
Comment of the Week: Meaning of the First Amendment & Establishment
Tuesday September 25, 2007
There's always a lot of debate and discussion about the meaning of the First Amendment; some of it represents legitimate disagreements or differing perspectives but some of it is so ... Read More
Hospital Chaplain Fired after Objecting to Gideon Bible Distribution
Monday September 24, 2007
Rev. Kay Myers used to be the director of pastoral care at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland. She's not there anymore because she objected to permitting the Gideons ... Read More
Power & the Papacy: Centralized Control vs. Collegiality
Monday September 24, 2007
There is a lot of debate in the Catholic Church about the nature of the Church and how individual Catholics should relate to it. On the one side are those ... Read More
Catholicism on Trial: Church's Complicity in Argentina's Dirty War
Monday September 24, 2007
In Argentina, a Catholic priest is on trial for helping the military during that nation's brutal dictatorship and internal war against dissent. The case against Father von Wernich, once a ... Read More
Book of the Week: Changing Face of Anti-Semitism: From Ancient Times to the Present Day
Monday September 24, 2007
Image courtesyPriceGrabber.com
Antisemitism has been a serious issue in Western culture for millennia. Although known in the ancient world, it became a significant aspect of Western culture because of Christianity; what ... Read More
Student Threatens Lawsuit: Instructor Didn't Treat Genesis as History!
Sunday September 23, 2007
In Red Oak, Iowa, an instructor at the Southwestern Community College has evidently been fired because he told his students that he didn't treat the story of Adam & Eve ... Read More
Parapsychology & Psychic Phenomena: Science, Pseudoscience, Religion?
Sunday September 23, 2007
Hyman's Categorical Imperative states: Do not try to explain something until you are sure that there is something to be explained. (Quoted from Ray Hyman) Unfortunately, parapsychology appears to be ... Read More
DNA vs. LDS: Rejecting Religious Objections to Scientific Evidence
Sunday September 23, 2007
Glenn Howard Griffin is on trial in Utah for the murder of Bradley Newell Perry in 1985. The case against him appears to be strong and a key piece of ... Read More
Adolf Hitler on Christianity: Quotes from Hitler Expressing Christian Faith
Sunday September 23, 2007
Despite how often Christian apologists try to argue that Adolf Hitler is an example of the evil caused by atheism and secularism, the truth is that Hitler often proclaimed his ... Read More
Religious Flyers in Backpacks: What Should Schools Do?
Saturday September 22, 2007
A school district in Madison, Wisconsin, has a policy of sending home flyers with students — even flyers for religious events. It's not just about announcing bake sales at a ... Read More
Epistemology Introduction: Understanding Truth, Knowledge, Belief
Saturday September 22, 2007
Epistemology involves questions about the nature and definition of truth. Epistemology is the study of human knowledge - the grounds and conditions under which we can know anything. Knowledge, in ... Read More
God-Fearing Christian Soldiers Threaten Atheist for Expecting Equality
Saturday September 22, 2007
Christian soldiers are apparently "defending" America by threatening to assault, harm, and even kill an atheist soldier because he actually dares to think that he, an atheist, should have the ... Read More
Godless Children & Family Religious Traditions: What Should Atheists Do?
Saturday September 22, 2007
A difficult issue for godless parents raising their children without religion is the religious traditions in their extended families. If the parents themselves were raised without gods or religion, this ... Read More
Christian Bigot Shuts Down Atheist Meeting in Iraq, Atheist Sues
Friday September 21, 2007
Spec. Jeremy Hall, a soldier assigned to Fort Riley's 97th Military Police Battalion, tried to hold a meeting of atheists and freethinkers at his base in Iraq but was stopped ... Read More
Can Muslim Dentists Refuse to Treat Uncovered Women?
Friday September 21, 2007
Omer Butt is a dentist in Britain who is accused of demanding that a female patient cover her head with a scarf in traditional Muslim fashion before treating her. Is ... Read More
Is The Watchtower Society Too Controlling of Jehovah's Witnesses?
Friday September 21, 2007
Most Jehovah's Witnesses will object when someone accuses the Watchtower Society of being too controlling. They say members are free to leave whenever they like and no one is forcing ... Read More
Republican Mike Huckabee: Winning America for Christ?
Thursday September 20, 2007
Do Republican politicians care more about effective government or more about using government to promote their religion? Sometimes it's hard to tell because some Republicans spend more time talking about ... Read More
Church & State Fundamentals: Redefining Religious Freedom - Special Rights for Religious Believers
Thursday September 20, 2007
Religious conservatives are anxious to expand the power of religious organizations in the United States, even if that means turning basic principles of religious freedom and liberty on its head. ... Read More
Diagnosing Disease in the Brain: Material, Physical Science
Thursday September 20, 2007
Scientists are making great strides in their ability to diagnose disorders and diseases of the brain. Given the increasing problems with conditions like Alzheimer's, this is very important — but ... Read More
Weekly Poll: Taking Pascal's Wager
Thursday September 20, 2007
Francis Collins: Accomplished Scientist, Anti-Atheist Bigot
Wednesday September 19, 2007
Anti-atheist bigotry seems to be far more common than most people realize. The problem, I think, is that so many popular arguments for believing in gods depend, at least implicitly, ... Read More
Atheism Basics: Real Atheism Requires Omniscience?
Wednesday September 19, 2007
It isn't too uncommon for some theists to argue that logical, reasonable atheism requires such extensive knowledge that an atheist would have to actually be God in order to deny ... Read More
Reasonable Religion? Base Local Laws on What Jesus Would Do
Wednesday September 19, 2007
Moderate and liberal Christians often insist that religion is fundamentally quite reasonable, but if that's the case then why do so many Christians insist that the civil laws under which ... Read More
Forum Discussion: Why I Am an Atheist
Wednesday September 19, 2007
Because atheism is simply a state or quality rather than an ideology or philosophy, there are perhaps as many different routes to and reasons for atheism as there are atheists. ... Read More
Christian America Returning to Public Concealment of Women's Bodies?
Tuesday September 18, 2007
A common criticism of traditional Islam is the forced covering of women's bodies: women are made responsible for however others react to the sight of women's bodies, and therefore women ... Read More
Church & State Fundamentals: What about the "Sundays Excepted" Clause?
Tuesday September 18, 2007
One common point of contention in the debate over whether or not the Constitution is reflects particularly Christian concerns and exists to reinforce Christian principles is the meaning of Article ... Read More
Blasphemy: Crime Against Chastity, Morality, Decency, Good Order
Tuesday September 18, 2007
It should be treated as a victimless crime, but since theists can't trot out any gods that have been harmed by blasphemy, they are forced to invent harm it supposedly ... Read More
Comment of the Week: Seeing the Mote in Others' Eyes
Tuesday September 18, 2007
Secular atheists generally regard religious and theistic beliefs as irrational and ill-founded. Not every atheist necessarily agrees, and even those who do don't always feel that way about every religious ... Read More
European Secularism: Backlash Against Militant Christianity, Islam
Monday September 17, 2007
Defenders of traditional religion and theism sometimes counter observations about the growth of secularism and atheism by pointing out that there are religious revivals occurring all around the world. It's ... Read More
Papacy: Pope John Paul II, Women, Feminism
Monday September 17, 2007
Source: Wikipedia
Photographer: Eric Draper
The most significant sources of conflict within the Catholic Church today revolve around the role and status of women. Should women be allowed to become priests? Must ... Read More
Are Atheist Necessarily Spiritual or Religious? Try Neither...
Monday September 17, 2007
It's common to wonder if atheists can be spiritual or religious, and the answer is "it depends." Atheists can be "religious" if you are talking about religions like Buddhism or ... Read More
Book of the Week: The Agnostic Reader
Monday September 17, 2007
Image courtesyPriceGrabber.com
Agnosticism is the position that the existence and nature of any gods is unknown and probably unknowable. It might be limited to a mere statement of "I don't know" ... Read More
Offended Theists vs. Science & Archaeology in India: Guess Who Wins?
Sunday September 16, 2007
The Indian government supports the creation of a canal between India and Sri Lanka because it would speed up the movement of cargo ships. Devout Hindus believe that the two ... Read More
Nietzsche vs. Gibson: Suffering, Debt, and Guilt with Jesus
Sunday September 16, 2007
One of the curious features of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion" is how it is almost entirely preoccupied with the suffering and death of Jesus. We are told nothing about ... Read More
Atheism is Unthinkable, Unlivable?
Sunday September 16, 2007
When religious theists run low on illogical arguments to defend their belief system, it's common for them to try to make personal attacks against atheists. Some simply resort to personal ... Read More
Mailbag: God's War
Sunday September 16, 2007
From: "James"
Subject: None
Thank you for this site, it has been enlightning and valuable for me, I realize even more that the truth of God's word is more valid today and ... Read More
Eighth Deadly Sin: Watching Popular Movies
Saturday September 15, 2007
Warren Jeffs Sworn InPhoto: Pool / Getty Images
There have always been contradictions and tension between religion and popular culture, but the contradictions and tensions are surely much greater in the ... Read More
Parapsychology: Are there Controlled, Repeatable Experiments in Parapsychology?
Saturday September 15, 2007
These are two important factors of genuine science: controls and repeatability. Scientific theories are based upon and lead to controlled, repeatable experiments whereas pseudoscientific theories are based upon and lead ... Read More
Christian Neo-Nazis Arrested in Israel
Saturday September 15, 2007
The idea of neo-Nazis living in Israel sounds too incredible and absurd to be true, but it is. Israel police recently busted up a gang of them but they weren't ... Read More
Einstein Quotes on Atheism & Freethought: Was Einstein an Atheist, Freethinker?
Saturday September 15, 2007
Albert Einstein is sometimes claimed by religious theists seeking the authority of a famous scientist for their theistic views, but Einstein denied the existence of the traditional concept of a ... Read More
Unconstitutional: Forced Attendance to Alcohol Anonymous Meetings
Friday September 14, 2007
Alcoholics Anonymous insists that it's not really a religious organization and that secular atheists can find help there just like anyone else — and indeed, some secular atheists do find ... Read More
Epistemology: Truth and Pragmatism
Friday September 14, 2007
One common criterion of truth is simple, straightforward pragmatism: if a belief 'works,' then it must be true. If it doesn’t work, then it must be false and should be ... Read More
Majority of Americans Believe Founders Intended America to be a Christian Nation
Friday September 14, 2007
Image Source:Jupiter Images
Falsehoods and fallacious arguments from the Christian Nationalists appear to be causing real harm to the fabric of America's democratic, liberal culture: there has been a dramatic decrease ... Read More
Excusing Anti-Atheist Bigotry: Atheists are Developing a Victim Complex and Crying Wolf
Friday September 14, 2007
People who deny that atheists are victims of bigotry and prejudice frequently insist that atheists are just 'crying wolf' and suffering from a victim complex. This accusation can be directed ... Read More
Scandal: Nearly Half of America Would Vote for a God-Denier for President!
Thursday September 13, 2007
Atheists, of course, regard it as sad that so many more people would be unwilling to vote for an otherwise qualified presidential candidate because of their atheism than because of ... Read More
Epistemology: Intersubjective Truth, Objective, and Subjective Truth
Thursday September 13, 2007
Both the description of truth as being objective and as being subjective have their strengths. It doesn’t seem possible for one to reasonably reject either in its entirety. Is there, ... Read More
Science Reveals Material Biology Behind Brain Blossoming
Thursday September 13, 2007
Photo: Digital Vision / Getty Images
If the human brain reaches full size at the age of six, why don't children display the same mental powers as adults? They obviously can't ... Read More
Weekly Poll: Should City Council Meetings Open with Prayers?
Thursday September 13, 2007
Court Bans Christian Cross in Public Park
Wednesday September 12, 2007
Several municipalities across America are fighting legal challenges to monuments in public parks which are obvious expressions of favoritism towards Christianity and Christian beliefs. One popular tactic is to add ... Read More
Parapsychology: Spiritualism & Traditional Religion
Wednesday September 12, 2007
It is true that spiritualism presumably provided proof of the sorts of claims made by traditional Christianity for centuries, but this does not meant that Christian leaders eagerly welcomed it. ... Read More
Atheism is Irrational Because Atheists Know there is a God?
Wednesday September 12, 2007
Given that a common atheist critique of theism is that it's irrational, it's hardly surprising that many theists try to argue that atheism itself is irrational. This is made difficult ... Read More
Forum Discussion: New Age Nonsense Masquerading as Science
Wednesday September 12, 2007
It's amazing, or perhaps just depressing, how often people in scientific fields and even in positions of responsibility will both believe and promote utter nonsense in place of verifiable, reliable ... Read More
Lebanese Singer Criticized for Being 'Inconsiderate Towards Christians'
Tuesday September 11, 2007
It's not just Westerners who come under fire for being "insensitive" to religious values and beliefs. Sometimes people in the Middle East get into trouble as well. Haifa Wahbe is ... Read More
Theological Trends: Theology, Science, and Religion
Tuesday September 11, 2007
As the term is generally used today, theology refers to the systematic formulation of ways to think about God, talk about a religion’s distinctive symbols or concepts, and bring it ... Read More
Superstition is Not Harmless, But Telling the Truth Upsets People
Tuesday September 11, 2007
One common claim made by people who object to secular atheists' criticisms of theistic religion is that religious superstitions aren't ultimately harmful and people should just be left to themselves ... Read More
Comment of the Week: It's Immoral to Insult Religious Figures
Tuesday September 11, 2007
Many religious believers want to exempt their religious beliefs from the sort of treatment which every other opinion in society might be subjected to. There's little problem with attacking political ... Read More
Turkey Calls for Limits on Free Speech, Press to Protect Religion
Monday September 10, 2007
There is a long history of religious believers trying to silence criticism and prop up the respectability of their opinions by limiting free speech and free press. The same may ... Read More
Epistemology: Arithmetical, Geometrical, Logical (Analytic), Synthetic, and Ethical Truths
Monday September 10, 2007
When someone refers to a 'truth' or claims that some statement is 'true,' just what kind of truth are they referring to? This may seem like an odd question at ... Read More
If Your Penis Offends Thee, Cut It Off
Monday September 10, 2007
Religious denial of reality sometimes involves denial of the facts of human nature. One of those facts is the presence of sexual desires which, according to some religions, are a ... Read More
Book of the Week: Right to Recover: Winning Political and Religious Wars Over Stem Cell Research
Monday September 10, 2007
Image courtesyPriceGrabber.com
Biotechnology should prove to be the most fertile ground for rancorous political and religious debate in the coming century. The first battles are already being waged over stem cell ... Read More
Slidell Changes Jesus Portrait Display
Sunday September 9, 2007
The city of Slidell, Louisiana has been vigorously defending the placement of a portrait of Jesus in the courthouse. They have expected people to believe that this portrait, accompanied by ... Read More
Parapsychology - Psychic Detectives and Police
Sunday September 9, 2007
There is a long history of people trying to solve crimes by appealing to supernatural and spiritual powers. That continues today with 'psychic detectives,' people who claim to be able ... Read More
Psychiatrists More Likely to be Nonreligious
Sunday September 9, 2007
There are differences in religiosity between different specialties of the physical sciences, but what about medicine? Turns out there are differences there as well. According to a survey published in ... Read More
Albert Einstein Quotes on Immoral Gods: How Are Popular Gods so Immoral?
Sunday September 9, 2007
Albert Einstein didn't merely disbelieve or even deny the existence of the sort of god traditionally asserted in monotheistic religions. Albert Einstein went so far as to deny that such ... Read More
Misogyny & Hypocrisy: It's All About Privileging the Right Christians
Saturday September 8, 2007
In August, 2006, Mary Lambert was fired from teaching Sunday School at the First Baptist Church in Watertown, N.Y. Pastor Tim LaBouf's reason was simple: the Bible prohibits women teaching ... Read More
Liberation Theology: Feminist Theology of Liberation
Saturday September 8, 2007
There is no one person who can be described as responsible for the development of feminist theology. Many women as well as a few men contributed to the growth of ... Read More
Russia & Iran: Religious Nationalism, Civil Liberties, and the Security State
Saturday September 8, 2007
Russian President Vladimir Putin, 2007Photo: Epsilon / Getty Images
Both Russia and Iran have a few interesting developments in common: increasing religious nationalism, increasing rhetoric about enemies abroad, increasing crack downs ... Read More
Bill Richardson, the Lord, and Iowa
Friday September 7, 2007
Bill RichardsonPhoto: Mark Hirsch / Getty Images
It's become almost normal for Republican politicians to cite the authority of their god and their religion for what should be secular political policies, ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Authorship of Mark's Gospel: Who was Mark who Wrote the Gospel?
Friday September 7, 2007
The text of the Gospel According to Mark does not specifically identify anyone as the author. Not even 'Mark' is identified as the author - in theory, 'Mark' could have ... Read More
Modernizing Superstition: Healing Religious Touch of Royalty
Friday September 7, 2007
Princess Diana, 1995Photo: Pascal Rondeau / Getty Images
Sometimes it seems as though old superstitions never entirely die away, they just under go a metamorphosis into new and interesting forms. Whether ... Read More
Adolf Hitler on Tradition: Hitler Quotes on Needing Traditional Moral Values
Friday September 7, 2007
Adolf Hitler is often used as an example of what happens to a society when traditional Christian moral and social values are abandoned. In reality, one of the reasons why ... Read More
Archbishop of Armagh: Don't Try to Control Your Future, Trust God
Thursday September 6, 2007
Most Christians live lives that are practically indistinguishable from anyone else in society. This is because even Christians regard their own theology and its implications as too impractical and incompatible ... Read More
Epistemology: Coherence Theory of Truth
Thursday September 6, 2007
The Coherence Theory of Truth is probably second or third in popularity to the Correspondence Theory. Originally developed by Hegel and Spinoza, it often seems to be an accurate description ... Read More
Are You a Right-Wing Extremist?
Thursday September 6, 2007
Extremism in religion is rampant in the world. It's possible for people to be extremists about nearly anything — just look at professional sports, for example — but it's instructive ... Read More
Weekly Poll: What Do You Think About the 'Bright' Label?
Thursday September 6, 2007
Corporate Chaplains: Will Your Boss Take Over Pastoring & Ministering?
Wednesday September 5, 2007
There is a growing trend in corporate America to provide official, company-paid and company-approved chaplains to serve the spiritual interests of its employees. There is even a corporation in Texas, ... Read More
Bible Commentary: What is the Gospel According to Mark? Background of Mark’s Gospel
Wednesday September 5, 2007
The Gospel According to Mark is anonymous, undated, and has no direct information about the historical, social, or political context in which it was written. Because specific and direct information ... Read More
Out-of-Body Experiences: Biologically Based, Scientifically Testable
Wednesday September 5, 2007
An extremely popular argument in defense of supernatural beliefs, religious beliefs, and belief in an afterlife is the existence of "out of body experiences." It is argued that these experiences ... Read More
Forum Discussion: Any Suggestions for Dealing with Friends & Family?
Wednesday September 5, 2007
Because atheists are a minority in America, it's likely that most atheists' friends and family are at least marginally religious believers — and perhaps often devout believers, too. Secular atheists ... Read More
Christian Right Hypocrisy: Hindu Prayers vs. Praying Parents
Tuesday September 4, 2007
The Christian Right has gained a great deal of traction out of portraying opponents of their anti-secularization efforts as godless, immoral, unpatriotic atheists. The fact that Christians are often plaintiffs ... Read More
Liberation Theology: Common Themes in Liberation Theologies
Tuesday September 4, 2007
During the late 1960s and early 1970s a new and important trend in Christian theology developed. Known as liberation theology, this perspective arose in a number of different contexts but ... Read More
War Theology Betrays True Believers on Front Lines
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Many Christians in America have promoted or endorsed the invasion of the Middle East on a religious basis. It is claimed that American troops are needed to help spread the ... Read More
Comment of the Week: Christian Right and Contraception
Tuesday September 4, 2007
Why is the Chrisitian Right starting to launch a fight against contraception? Most people alive today don't remember a time when even access to information about contraception could be difficult ... Read More
Boy Scouts of America: Massive Sexual Abuse Over Many Decades
Monday September 3, 2007
Daniel Martino,Protesting AgainstBoy Scout leaderJames Dale in 2000
Photo: Alex Wong /Getty Images
The Boy Scouts of America insist that gays and atheists cannot be admitted to their ranks at any level ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Women and the Bible: Status of Women in the Old Testament Laws
Monday September 3, 2007
If a god created humanity, then it created half of all that humanity as one gender (male) and half of another gender (female). And how was the latter half treated ... Read More
Patriarchal Religion & Culture: Mistreatment of Widows in India
Monday September 3, 2007
Image Source: Jupiter Images
The foundation for women's inequality today is patriarchal cultures; these, in turn, are founded on patriarchal religion. Women are simply not valued as fully equal human beings ... Read More
Book of the Week: Oxford Guide to The Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide Survey
Monday September 3, 2007
Image courtesyPriceGrabber.com
The Book of Common Prayer is fundamental to the Anglican Church - indeed, it's almost as important as the Bible itself because it helps define Anglican beliefs and worship ... Read More
Yet Another Muhammad Drawing Controversy: Iran Lashes Out at Sweden
Sunday September 2, 2007
Image Source:Jupiter Images
I don't think that there will ever be an end to controversies, conflicts, and even violence over cartoons of Muhammad. So long as there is anything negative or ... Read More
Parapsychology: Our Malleable Memory and Parapsychology
Sunday September 2, 2007
A good example of how malleable memory can be comes from Psychologist Ulric Neisser, a professor at Emory University in January 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger blew up just ... Read More
Vatican Diplomats: Do They Deserve Special Status?
Sunday September 2, 2007
Pope Benedict XVI in AssisiPhoto: Franco Origlia/Getty Images
At the end of the 19th century, Vatican diplomacy was more a matter of show than substance. The activities of Vatican diplomats grew ... Read More
Myth: Atheists Shouldn't Deconvert People, That Will Harm Them in the Afterlife
Sunday September 2, 2007
One of the most popular arguments which religious theists, and especially Christians, try to use is some form of Pascal's Wager: being an atheist is a bad "bet" because if ... Read More
Bobby Jindal: Catholicism is Right, Everyone Else is Wrong
Saturday September 1, 2007
Bobby Jindal, 2003Photo: Mario Villafuerte / Getty Images
Republicans have been complaining loudly about Democratic criticisms of Bobby Jindal, GOP candidate for governor in Louisiana. Democrats have been pointing out some ... Read More
Bible Commentary: Homer & the Gospel of Mark: Is Mark’s Gospel Based on Homer’s Odyssey?
Saturday September 1, 2007
Most scholars treat the gospels as their own independent literary genre which ultimately derives from the work of the author of Mark - a combination of biography, aretology, and hagiography ... Read More
A Closeted Atheist
Saturday September 1, 2007
If atheism really isn't any sort of civil rights issue, then why are so many atheists under pressure to keep their atheism hidden from family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Granted, ... Read More
Myth: Scientific Atheists Should Experiment with Religion, Theism
Saturday September 1, 2007
Stated in this fashion, this isn't a very common myth - not too many Christians argue that it would be a valid "experiment" to pretend to be a Christian in ... Read More