Updated Articles and Resources

By Austin Cline, About.com Guide since 1998

Atheists, Agnostics, and Obesity - Who's Fatter, Atheists or Christians? Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012
Obesity is a growing health problem for America and it affects Americans of all types. However, there is some survey data which indicates that atheists and agnostics are less likely than Christians...
Barnum Effect & Gullibility: Some People Will Believe Anything - Flaws in Reasoning and Arguments Created: Thursday, October 07, 2004 Updated: Monday, May 21, 2012
A common reference point as to why people believe the advice of psychics and astrologers - not to mention many other nice things said about them - is the 'Barnum Effect.' Named after P.T. Barnum, t...
Are Atheists Really Less Fat than Christians? If so, Why? Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Sunday, May 20, 2012
There hasn't been a lot of scientific research on this, but what data we have suggests that atheists and agnostics suffer from obesity at lower rates than Christians - and perhaps far lower rates, ...
Why Do More Women than Men Believe in God? Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Sunday, May 20, 2012
The fact that we see differences in rates of belief in god across many nations suggests that the difference must be at least partially due to either some sort of inherent difference between men and...
Belief in God & Sex in America - Sex Differences for Belief in God in America Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Sunday, May 20, 2012
Theism and religion appear among women at higher rates than they do among men. Surveys find this not just in America, but in other nations as well. The degree of difference in belief between men an...
The Second Commandment and American Law Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Sunday, May 20, 2012
If the Ten Commandments are the basis for American law or government, where is the Second Commandment to be found in American law? Where is the Second Commandment to be found in the Constitution wh...
The First Commandment and American Law Created: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Updated: Sunday, May 20, 2012
If the Ten Commandments are the basis for American law or government, where is the First Commandment to be found in American law? Where is the First Commandment to be found in the Constitution whic...
What's The Point of Marriage, Gay or Straight? Gay Marriage Issues Created: Friday, July 16, 2004 Updated: Sunday, May 13, 2012
A common question in the debate over gay marriage is: what the point is for gays to marry? Aside from property and legal issues that could, in theory, be solved by other laws, what point are gays t...
God Approves of Parasites & Parasitism - God Morally Approves of Parasites, Parasitism Created: Monday, January 02, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, May 02, 2012
Genesis depicts God as looking over creation and declaring that all was 'very good,' including parasites and parasitism - nasty things which cause death and suffering. I think it's fair to judge th...
Origins of the Israelites - Where Did the Israelites of the Bible Come From? Created: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 Updated: Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Israelites are the focus of the Old Testament. Who were the Israelites and where did they come from? The Pentateuch and Deuteronomist give explanations, but extra-biblical sources and archaeolo..
Atheists & Religion: Do Atheists Hate Religion? Are Atheists Anti-Religion? Created: Thursday, May 18, 2006 Updated: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
There are frequent debates not only between atheists and theists, but also among atheists on the subject of religion. Why? Because there is no unanimity among atheists on religion. Different atheis..
Book Review - Healing Violent Men: A Model for Christian Communities, by David J. Livingston Created: Saturday, March 26, 2005 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Is Christianity more of a help or a hinderance when it comes to addressing male violence against women? Traditionally, it seems, Christianity has often done more to support and abet violence agains..
Judge Roy Moore's Beliefs: What Does He Think About Religion, America, And The Ten Commandments? Created: Thursday, December 09, 2004 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Perhaps the most important and fundamental idea of his, one which plays a role in his other beliefs and in his actions, is that America is a Christian Nation. At a Christian rally in Tennessee in e..
Ten Commandments as Treaty: Religious Issues in the Ten Commandments Created: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
It has been suggested by some scholars that the Ten Commandments is best understood by comparing it to some of the treaties written during the same time period. Rather than a list of laws, the comm..
Christian Views of the Ten Commandments: Religious Issues in the Ten Commandments Created: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Because of the multiplicity of Christian denominations, it is inevitable that the Christian views of the Ten Commandments would be both confusing and contradictory. There is no one authoritative wa..
Second Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images - Analysis of the Second Commandment Created: Monday, December 06, 2004 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
It is believed by most theologians that this commandment was designed to underscore the radical difference between God as creator and God’s creation. It was common in various Near East religio..
Introduction to the Book of Ruth - Eighth Book of the Old Testament Created: Sunday, December 04, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Book of Ruth is one of the shorter and simpler books of the Bible. The focus of the Book of Ruth is one woman, Ruth, and her conversion of Judaism. Ruth was originally a Moabite who married int..
From Exodus to Joshua - Oppression Through Liberation Created: Sunday, December 04, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
One of the themes of the first books of the Jewish scriptures and the Christian Old Testament liberation - but liberation is always combined with oppression. Obviously liberation is liberation from..
Deuteronomist Theology (Deuteronomism) & Blaming the Victims Created: Monday, February 06, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Deuteronomist theology is a theological version of blaming the victim for their suffering: whatever your problems in life, you must deserve them. The reverse is also used: if you're prosperous and ..
Elijah: Profile & Biography of Elijah, an Old Testament Figure, Prophet, Biblical Hero Created: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Elijah was an important Israelite prophet whose name in Hebrew means 'my Lord is Jehovah.' Accounts of Elijah’s life and actions are recorded through 1 and 2 Kings. Aside from coming from the ..
Introduction to the Book of Exodus - Second Book of the Bible & of the Pentateuch Created: Monday, September 05, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Exodus is the continuation of the historical narratives begun in Genesis. Exodus starts with slavery in Egypt and ends with liberation. Exodus also ends with the creation of the first priests, whic..
Introduction to the Book of Genesis, First Book of the Bible & of the Pentateuch Created: Monday, September 05, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Genesis is where it all starts in the Bible, literally and figuratively. It's the story of creation and the origin of all the Bible's major themes. Genesis is the first book of the Bible, the first..
Introduction to the Book of Numbers - Fourth Book of the Bible & of the Pentateuch Created: Monday, September 05, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Numbers returns the Pentateuch to story telling: the Israelites travel to the promised land, but God denies them entry because they are scared. The Israelites had been promised Canaan, land origina..
Introduction to the Book of Leviticus - Third Book of the Bible & of the Pentateuch Created: Monday, September 05, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Book of Leviticus is perceived by many as one of the most boring books in the Bible - it has no real story and is just a long list of laws, rules, and regulations. The Book of Leviticus is the ..
Introduction to the Book of Deuteronomy - Fifth Book of the Bible & of the Pentateuch Created: Monday, September 05, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Deuteronomy is basically Moses' farewell speech to the people of Israel before he dies and they enter the land of Canaan. Actually, it's three farewell speeches: one recapitulating the previous for..
Book Review - Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church, by Simon G. Southerton Created: Monday, December 20, 2004 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
One of the most fundamental and indispensable doctrines of Mormonism is the idea that ancient Israelites traveled from the Middle East and settled in the New World. Their history is what constitute..
Who Were the Canaanites? Canaanites in the Old Testament & History Created: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Canaanites play an important role in the story of the Israelites' conquest of their
Excusing Genocide - How Modern Christians Excuse and Justify Genocide Created: Wednesday, March 07, 2012 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Because Christians treat the Jewish scriptures as holy, they must contend with the morality of behavior depicted in those scriptures — both the behavior of those characters held up as exempla..
What is Monolatry? Definition & Explanation of Monolatry Created: Sunday, November 06, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monolatry is the worship of a single god while acknowledging the existence of other gods - and usually and appropriateness of other people worshipping those other gods. Monolatry must be distinguis..
Joshua & Genocide - Book of Joshua as a Manual for Genocide Created: Sunday, December 04, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Book of Josua describes little more than a genocidal campaign against the unsuspecting inhabitants of Canaan. The Canaanites never attacked the Israelites, never enslaved the Israelites, and ar..
Introduction to the Books of Kings - First & Second Kings in the Old Testament Created: Sunday, December 04, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Books of Kings pick up where the Books of Samuel ended. The Books of Kings describe the descent of the kings of Israel and Judah into apostasy and idolatry. The Books of Kings were written from..
Introduction to the Pentateuch, the First Five Books of the Bible Created: Saturday, September 03, 2011 Updated: Wednesday, April 11, 2012
If you want to understand the Bible, you need to understand the Pentateuch. Here in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, you'll find most if not all of the major themes that recur thr..

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