Atheism and Atheists
Recent News and Posts
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Curious about what has been going on with the atheism and atheists both in America and around the world? Atheism doesn't come up very often in the media, but that doesn't mean that there isn't anything to say or to report about. There are very regular stories involving atheists and atheism if you look closely.
Many stories are about legal battles involving atheists fighting for the separation of church and state. Others are about individual atheists who have made a difference in people's lives. Then there are the stories that shouldn't really be stories: the revelation that someone is an atheist. They are stories because no one expects it, but they shouldn't be stories because the existence of prominent and famous atheists simply shouldn't be a big deal.
Only the initial part of a story is listed - to read the rest, you will have to click on the links. Stories are listed in reverse order, with the most recent news appearing first.
News About Atheism and Atheists
-->Is Atheism a Civil Rights Issue?
Atheists need a public awareness campaign, not a liberation movement. Women, people of color, and GLBTs have consistently faced discrimination that substantially diminishes their...
Read more...Safire Admits: Newdow is Right!
It's rare to see a nationally known conservative writer agree with atheists like this - but William Safire has specifically stated that Micheal Newdow is...
Read more...Discussion: Physically Attacked for Being an Atheist?
A forum member writes: My boyfriend is Catholic and I'm an atheist. I was showing him some atheist shirts I made and he became quite...
Read more...Poll: Voting for Politicians Prejudiced Against Atheists?
There is a lot of prejudice and bigotry against atheists in America - so naturally quite a few politicians will reflect the same attitudes. Is...
Read more...Boy Scout Leader Convicted of Molestation
The Boy Scouts of America has a strong interest in protecting the boys placed in their care. That, supposedly, is why they don't allow atheists...
Read more...Poll: Can Marriage Between Atheists & Theists Work?
There are more theists in the world than there are atheists - so it's only natural that when an atheist gets involved in an intimate...
Read more...Catholic Survey: Atheism Fading
According to research done by the Pontifical Council for Culture, atheism is "receding" while religious indifference and "alternative religions" are increasing. For some reason though,...
Read more...Atheist Lobbying Group Created
There is no organized political group representing the interests of atheists, agnostics, and other nonbelievers in America - at least, there wasn't until now. Out...
Read more...Poll: What Do You Think About the 'Bright' Label?
Recently some non-believers have started promoting the use of the label 'Bright' to describe atheists who adopt a naturalistic outlook on life. This has annoyed...
Read more...Teaching Atheism and Religion
Can atheism play any role in the teaching of religion? Some might assume that bringing up atheism and disbelief in gods might actually undermine efforts...
Read more...Why Atheists Can Never Be President
Most people would never vote for an atheist for president. They might vote for a woman, for a Jew, or for a Muslim. They might...
Read more...Utah Atheists Get Prayer Policy Changed
Around the nation, many local government bodies begin their sessions with prayer or religious invocations. When challenged, the practices sometimes stand and sometime are struck...
Read more...Poll: What is Your Position on Agnosticism & Atheism?
When it comes to atheism, theism, and agnosticism, there are four general positions: agnostic atheism (don't know that any gods do or don't exist, but...
Read more...Britain: Most Secular, Most Atheist Nation?
Although the Church of England is being torn asunder by conflict between conservative evangelicals and progressives, apparently the average Briton isn't much interested in religion...
Read more...Bob Barr: Atheists Trying to Infiltrate Boy Scouts
The Boy Scouts of America excludes both atheists and gays not only from leadership positions, but also from any sort of membership. This has been...
Read more...Cal Thomas on Atheists and Gibson
In recent years, conservative columnist Cal Thomas has moderated his position - he no longer seems to think, for example, that it is a good...
Read more...Dull, Dull Atheism
As I noted here not too long ago, Britain could begin teaching about atheism and atheistic philosophies in its school (in their religion classes). Some...
Read more...Atheism Lessons in Britain Attacked
I noted here before that a think tank in Britain has recommended introducing atheism and atheistic philosophies into school classes on religion in order to...
Read more...Atheism to be Taught in British Schools?
British schools currently teach about various religions, like Christianity and Islam, but new plans for the courses will make room for teaching about atheism, humanism,...
Read more...Atheist Discrimination Suit Settled
In December of 2001 Carletta Sims of Tennessee filed suit against Associates Commerce Solutions, alleging that the company allowed a "hostile working environment" to develop...
Read more...John Kerry on Religion & Atheism
I've reported before on what various Democratic candidates for president have had to say about the separation of church and state, but we don't see...
Read more...Pat Boone Has No Integrity?
I commented earlier on Pat Boone's editorial column where he advised atheists to "shut up and get over it," with "it" being the fact that...
Read more...Atheists Target Smaller Utah Towns
According to the Utah Supreme Court, if a local government meeting is to include any prayers, then those prayers must be open to people of...
Read more...Female Atheist to Head Argentina's High Court?
In America, it seems impossible that an atheist would ever become a top government official, much less in a position like Chief Justice of the...
Read more...Atheists Coming Out of the Closet
The number of people who identify themselves as atheists and who are interested in connecting with other atheists appears to be on the rise. This...
Read more...Being an Atheist Implies Nothing
The fact that atheism is merely the absence of belief in gods, nothing more and nothing less, is something which is repeated rather often here...
Read more...Outside, Looking In
For many atheists, being "on the outside, looking in" is an all-too-common feelings. Not all theists and religionists care about whether someone believes in gods,...
Read more...Atheists: Shut Up and Get Over It
Pat Boone may be a good musician, I honestly don't know, but his reasoning skills are rather poor. He made that evident when he write...
Read more...Religious Intolerance in Schools
Intolerance and bigotry in public schools is a fact of life for many atheist students in America. They feel unable to express their true feelings...
Read more...Paganism, Witchcraft, Atheism: Testing Christianity
Times seem to be tough for Christians in Australia. Some are acting as though they are becoming an embattled minority, although in truth the real...
Read more...Town Drops Religious Seal
Criticized last year by Irv Sutley, a local atheist and activist, Rohnert Park in California will be dropping a religious town seal in favor of...
Read more...Atheists Object to School Discrimination
One of the most frequent targets for religious exemptions from otherwise general laws and rules involves headgear. There are a number of situations where hats...
Read more...Atheists Misunderstanding Church/State Separation
Using already established principles of our government, recognizing something as a religion inherently violates the right to free speech. Which means the right to...
Read more...Blameworthy Atheists
Most atheists realize that there are, as a generalization, two types of atheists: "weak" atheists who simply disbelieve in gods and "strong" atheist who deny...
Read more...Slamming Atheists for the Holidays
If Christmas is a time for the faithful, The Sunday Age asked various religious leaders what atheists miss out on....
Read more...End Defensive Atheism
Atheists tend to be defensive when it comes to their interactions with theists and religion. Atheists don't usually speak up a great deal and they...
Read more...Atheist Challenges Scouts' Access to Schools
The Boy Scouts of America are a bigoted organization, discriminating against gays and atheists because their alleged inferiority when it comes to matters of citizenship,...
Read more...Tolkien and Atheists
I write much about atheists and their atheism on this blog site; partly because I cannot fathom what it must be like to live...
Read more...Anyone But An Atheist...
Most people have probably heard of the Masons, a fraternal organization that has lodges all around the world. What most people aren't aware of, however,...
Read more...Howard Dean: Godless?
Atheists in America will surely be curious about some of the religious positions of the various presidential candidates. We already know where the current president,...
Read more...Hair Coloring for Bald People
What defines an atheist as an atheist is his thoughts about God, not his absence of thoughts on the subject. Cline ultimately concedes this...
Read more...George Soros' Atheism Fuels Conservative Rage
A billionaire philanthropist who has donated large amounts of money to various international causes, George Soros has pledged US $15.5 million for the defeat of...
Read more...Magic Rainbows
Brent Rasmussen had an experience which isn't as unusual as it should be. Raz was explaining to his daughter how rainbows are formed - not...
Read more...Nobel Laureate to Create Fund for Atheism
Vitaly Ginzburg, a Russian scientist, will receive the Nobel Prize for Physics "for pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids." He says that...
Read more...Atheism and the Separation of Church and State, Part 3
One must feel sorry for atheists. They seem so lonely. Alone not only under the vast stars of a summer's night, in all this...
Read more...Boy Scouts' Fliers in Public Schools Challenged
The Boy Scouts of America promote bigotry by discriminating against atheists and gays. This is their legal right - private groups can be bigoted against...
Read more...Atheism and the Separation of Church and State, Part 2
In America ... most of our atheists are actually thinly disguised Christians, or sometimes thinly disguised Jews, who want to retain the humanism taught...
Read more...Being Good Without God
Can we be good without God? That's a serious question discussed by theologians, philosophers, and even regular people. It is not the most serious question...
Read more...Atheism and the Separation of Church and State, Part 1
Atheism is a long-term project. It is not completed when one ceases believing in God. It is necessary to carry it through until one...
Read more...Joe Sabia: More Church, Less State, Part 4
The targeting of Christianity is ... at the heart of the recent push for gay marriage. The atheist left has spent decades undermining the...
Read more...Religionless in America
If the people in America who professed no religious adherence were organized as a single group, they would number more than every religious group and...
Read more...Joe Sabia: More Church, Less State, Part 3
Simply because the Boy Scouts had the temerity to stand up for Judeo-Christian principles in their membership criteria, they are now the targets of...
Read more...Joe Sabia: More Church, Less State, Part 2
The "Shut Up!" message [of the separation of church and state] has had disastrous consequences for our society, particularly in the area of public...
Read more...Joe Sabia: More Church, Less State, Part 1
[T]he problem in our country is not that there is too much religion in the public arena, but rather too little. In our prayers...
Read more...The Color of Baldness
What color hair to bald people have on their heads? If that sounds like a nonsensical question, congratulations! You're right, it is nonsense. If you're...
Read more...Understanding Others' Viewpoints
One thing that bothers some atheists is the idea that they should show any consideration or civility towards beliefs and ideas they consider obviously ridiculous....
Read more...Austin United Way Defunds Boy Scouts
Yet another United Way chapter has decided that paying for bigotry and discrimination simply isn't a good idea and isn't compatible with the organization's general...
Read more...Atheists Responsible for Terrorist Bombings
When we think about terrorist attacks in the Middle East, it is not surprising that our thoughts turn immediately to religion and, in particular, to...
Read more...Misunderstanding Materialism
If you work hard enough to misdefine key terms, you can prove just about anything, no matter how ridiculous. This seems especially true when it...
Read more...Unchurched Americans Feel Too Safe!
If you aren't a regular churchgoer, you might feel safe from evangelization efforts. When was the last time you were pressured to go to church...
Read more...Love the Atheist, Hate the Atheism
Sometimes the so-called "love" that some Christians what to show to atheists is simply intolerable. Why? Because it isn't really "love," it's simply a barely-concealed...
Read more...Military Chaplain: No Atheists in Foxholes
Ignorance continues to emanate from some Christian circles where atheism is concerned. One of the problems inherent in the official government support of religion and...
Read more...Atheist Speaks Despite Christian Fears
As was reported here earlier, two churches that had agreed to host a luncheon for NJ Peace Action ended up withdrawing those invitations because a...
Read more...Irrational Atheist? Part 2
A few days ago I wrote a critique of a column written by Vox Day. In that column Vox made all sorts of ridiculous and...
Read more...The Irrational Atheist?
"Fisking" is a recently coined word to denote the process of going through "someone else's writing line by line and show them to be a...
Read more...Godless People Responsible For Holocaust
German MP Martin Hohmann has been in the news lately because of his comments that if the Germans were classified as a "race of perpetrators"...
Read more...Unchurched Kids: Opportunity for Evangelization
What should be done about kids who grow up without much experience going to church? Well, if you are an evangelical Christian, you bemoan that...
Read more...The Boy Scouts vs. Philadelphia
For a while now the Cradle of Liberty Council (the organization which administers the Boy Scouts in Philadelphia) has experienced problems with the fact that...
Read more...James Watson: Atheist
A Nobel Prize laureate for his work to help to uncover the configuration of the DNA molecule, James Watson is an important figure in the...
Read more...Atheists: OK Without God
Some believers wonder how atheists live without belief in a god - or even why they bother living if they don't believe in a god...
Read more...Church Cancels Lunch - Because of Atheist
Some churches don't like atheists - really, really, really don't like atheists. So much so in fact that they may be willing to give up...
Read more...Government to Fund Scouts "Duty to God"
The Boy Scouts of America are allowed to discriminate against gays and atheists, largely due to the argument that they can't be forced to associate...
Read more...Removing Religion = Imposing Atheism?
Whenever there is an attempt to stop the government from endorsing or supporting religion in some way, many people almost automatically react by complaining that...
Read more...Bright Brouhaha
The term "Bright" has been coined to serve as more positive label not simply for atheists, but in fact for all people who disbelieve in...
Read more...Who Doesn't Believe in God?
If America is such a religious and Christian nation, who in the United States doesn't believe in God? It seems almost incredible that anyone, or...
Read more...Religion (or lack thereof) in Oregon
Oregon, it seems, it's a very religious state. That isn't to say that people are all atheists or don't have any spiritual or supernatural beliefs....
Read more...Pledge of Allegiance: Rocking the Boat?
Are atheists and secularists hurting their own cause by pursuing the case against the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance? Some think so...
Read more...Secularism: No Place in India
Should India be a secular or a theocratic state? For a long time India has been on the road of secularism, treating all religious equally...
Read more...Not Too Bright?
It is true that there is a lot of discrimination against atheists and that this discrimination can, in large part, be traced to the fact...
Read more...Path of Brighteousness
Yes, people haven't quite gotten over efforts to promote the label "Bright" - and they continue to argue that the word shouldn't be read as...
Read more...Boy Scouts Propose to... Lie?
The Boy Scouts really, really, really don't want to lose their free, government-provided office space in Philadelphia. They are so desperate to keep it that...
Read more...Boy Scout Rally: Anti-Liberal Vitriol
Are the Boy Scouts' policies really designed in order to help boy develop into upstanding, moral citizens or are they designd to help them develop...
Read more...Atheists Harassed in Oklahoma
As part of an event organized by Habitat for Humanity, a group of atheists and agnostics at Oklahoma University built a small shack for a...
Read more...Norway: Not Very Religious
In many way Europe is less religious than the United States - despite high rates of church affiliation, very often people don't really take church...
Read more...Secular Reasons to be "Under God"
Most arguments for having the government become more religious are, naturally, religious in nature. But are there any independent, secular arguments for the idea that...
Read more...Boy Scouts' Discrimination Puts Offices in Jeopardy
The Boy Scouts of America fought hard in the courts for the right to discriminate against gays and atheists. According to them, they are a...
Read more...Embattled Scouts Defending Ideology
The Boy Scouts of America don't want gays or atheists to be involved with their organization - in fact, this is so important to them...
Read more...Atheists: No Right to Live in America
Sometimes, people wonder what the harm is in having "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and what is wrong with having public school students...
Read more...Oregon Police Support Discrimination
One would assume that government officials, especially the police, would feel ethically obligated to uphold the principle of nondiscrimination among the citizens they serve. I...
Read more...The Value of Atheism
Is atheism useful for society? Many theists and religionists would dispute that; at most, they might consider it unimportant and irrelevant and at worst they...
Read more...Atheists in the Bible Belt
Traditional religion is very popular in the southern United States - so popular, in fact, that life can be very difficult for those who do...
Read more...Atheists Object to Ground Zero Cross
In the wreckage of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, rescue workers came across two steel beams arranged in...
Read more...Atheist Sailors Don't Merit Religious Freedom
Bigotry against atheists is alive and well in Florida. Well, to be fair, I should say that bigotry against anyone who doesn't subscribe to the ...
Read more...Atheism & Morality
Book of the Day: Atheism, Morality, and Meaning, by Michael Martin. Morality has played an important role in both religion and theism throughout human ...
Read more...Police Chief Trashes Atheists
Atheists are not very popular people. They don't subscribe to the most dominant and common religious beliefs in American society; as a consequence, they are ...
Read more...Atheists Challenge Naval Prayers
As was reported here recently, the Naval Academy has decided to continue a tradition of mandatory lunchtime prayers for all cadets. Atheists in the military ...
Read more...Atheist Center's Blasphemy
Lorie Polansky's "Atheist Station" in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, has been attracting a lot of unwelcome attention. She has had to deal with a great deal of ...
Read more...Bob Schieffer on Atheists in Foxholes
There is a very old prejudice that there are "no atheists in foxholes," a statement that is supposed to express the idea that atheists aren't...
Read more...Atheist Sues Over School Uniforms
Why is an atheist in Pennsylvania suing a school district over school uniforms? It's an equal protection argument: students from religious families can opt out...
Read more...Mailbag: Questions About Atheism
From: "Carolyn" Subject: Questions about Atheism I understand you must know alot about atheism, your the guide to this site, so i was wondering if...
Read more...Atheism at a Catholic University
Can an atheist teach at a religious university, even an explicitly Catholic university? Well, that's exactly what Dale McGowan is doing at the College of...
Read more...Priests Denounce Nonbelieving Colleague
The debate over the status of the Danish Lutheran priest who doubts or disbelieves in the existence of God isn't quite over yet. In June,...
Read more...Atheists' Discrimination Lawsuit Reinstated
A discrimination lawsuit filed by an atheist against Associates Commerce Solutions and CitiGroup has been reinstated after the judge was asked to reconsider his dismissal....
Read more...Atheist Mayor Ends Council Prayers
There are many, many communities across America where various councils and boards open their meetings with prayers. Atheists and members of various religious minorities find...
Read more...Mixed-Faith Marriages: Cruel?
Are marriages between Christians and atheists a bad idea? Some think so - including some atheists. Some Christians, however, find the idea to be outrageous....
Read more...Charities Supporting Boy Scouts, Despite Bigotry
The Boy Scouts' discrimination against gays and atheists has caused many charities and government organizations to end their support of that group (although most seem...
Read more...Atheists Want to be Heard
What do atheists want? Well, they want pretty much the same things that everyone else wants - and they don't want others to stop showing...
Read more...Atheists, Activist Courts, and Constitutional Ignorance
Are activist courts and judges being duped by atheists to make bad decisions that rely upon an ignorance of the Constitution? That's what a lot...
Read more...Atheism is Foolish and Wrong?
Have you ever read the "God Squad"? Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman jointly write a column dealing with questions about religious issues and...
Read more...Atheist Priest Regains Faith
What happens when a priest loses his faith in the existence of God? He is removed from his post - even if his parishioners want...
Read more...Czech Republic: Most Atheist Country in Europe?
The Czech Republic may be a great place to live for atheists - even those Czechs who aren't atheist are, by and large, disdainful of...
Read more...Can Atheists Teach Philosophy of Religion?
There is nothing that would bar an atheist from teaching the philosophy of religion - indeed, in some places this may actually be the norm...
Read more...Phyllis Diller: Atheist
Recent news has provided a wider population with the fact that Katharine Hepburn was an atheist and that Barry White was a skeptic when it...
Read more...Katharine Hepburn Burning in Hell?
People who read this site regularly will probably have seen my earlier post in which I explained how the recently deceased Katharine Hepburn was an...
Read more...Mountaineer in Trouble: No Prayers to God
Many are familiar with the story of Aron Ralston who had to amputate his own arm when trapped under a boulder and far from help....
Read more...State Charity List Drops Boy Scouts
The Boy Scouts have insisted against all detractors, even internal, that they are right to exclude atheists and gays both from the ranks and from...
Read more...Atheism vs. Citizenship
Is atheism compatible with being an American citizen? The Boy Scouts seem to have their doubts and President Bush (the first) said that "I don't...
Read more...Profile of Herb Silverman
Many atheists and freethinkers have heard of Herb Silverman. In 1990 he challenged South Carolina's constitutional requirement that all public office holders affirm the existence...
Read more...Katharine Hepburn Dead at 96
With a career spanning over six decades, Katharine Hepburn has died at the age of 96. Born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, Katharine...
Read more...Parishioners Demand Return of Atheist Pastor
Thorkild Grosboel, the pastor of Taarbaek who was removed from his post for denying the existence of God, is very popular. Hundreds of parishioners from...
Read more...Atheist Attacks Godless Constitution
Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski, an outspoken and open atheist, has denounced the proposed European Constitution for its failure to make any mention of Europe's Christian...
Read more...Atheist Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed
A $250,000 religious discrimination suit against Associates Commerce Solutions was dismissed by a judge. Carletta Sims alleged that she had been fired because she was...
Read more...Catholic Theologian May Sue Over Atheist Allegation
Catholic Theologian May Sue Over Atheist Allegation Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at Cambridge University, is quoted on the website of an...
Read more...Doubting Danish Priest Suspended
Can a man who doesn't believe in God serve as a Lutheran priest? Not in Denmark, at any rate - Thorkild Grosboel, pastor of Taarbaek,...
Read more...Eyes Sewn Shut
An Iranian Kurdish refugee and atheist who has been imprisoned in Iran for writing poetry that is critical of the religious government in that country...
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