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Mother Teresa An Atheist?
2007-08-24 17:36:00
Was Mother Teresa an atheist? Andrew Brown at Comment is Free asks this intriguing question in light of recently released writings which show that Mother Teresa had serious questions about her faith. Brown writes, "...even as she was receiving the Nobel prize, she asked her confessor to pray for her because she could feel nothing when she prayed herself and no longer had any experience of God."The implications are certainly interesting to ponder, although I would be shocked if this new information changed any minds. Christians desperately need her to remain a symbol of Christianity, and so she will remain one.Tags: Mother Teresa, atheist
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Intercessory Prayer and the Nature of Belief
2007-08-24 14:33:00
Intercessory prayer, not to be confused with imprecatory prayer, refers to Christians praying on behalf of others. For example, such prayers might be offered for the benefit of an ill member of one's congregation. They seem innocent enough, perhaps even admirable in some cases, and yet they raise important questions about what Christians believe and the degree to which they truly hold the beliefs which they commonly espouse.If we imagine a 6 year-old boy praying that his older sister will survive her surgery, we are hard pressed to see a problem. Science tells us that intercessory prayer does not work, so the worst we could say about the boy is that his prayers are futile. But it isn't like his prayers are distracting him from helping in some other way (he's only 6). In all likelihood, he finds his prayers a source of comfort because they provide him with feelings of control over something uncontrollable. Illusory to be sure, but not entirely without temporary benefit.When the pe...
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CNN's God's Warriors
2007-08-24 14:30:00
CNN is airing a 3-part special on religious extremism that is well worth checking out. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity each have their own 2-hour show. It is so nice to finally have some mainstream media attention to the problem of religion.I have not had the chance to watch any of them yet, but I've been recording them for when I might have time. I did watch Larry King's interview with Christiane Amanpour and others. I thought Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State presented himself very well.Tags: CNN, religion, religious extremism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Barry Lynn, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, television
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Get Your Camouflaged Bibles
2007-08-23 12:36:00
Christian Outdoorsman is now selling camouflaged bibles. Yep, you read that right. I think this is a great idea! Now hunters who are so hopelessly Christian that they can't stand to be without their bibles for a few hours can take it with them.H/Ts to No More Mister Nice Blog and The Carpetbagger Report
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Belief Does Not Equal Truth!
2007-08-22 12:45:00
While catching up on what is happening around the atheist blogosphere, I ran across a post at Religion *is* a Problem that absolutely requires a rant. In fact, I think I may have just identified my #1 pet peeve (at least for today) about religious believers.The story, originally posted by Ocellated, concerns Bill Nye being booed by Christians for highlighting an incompatibility between reality and their bible. As quoted by Ocellated:The Emmy-winning scientist angered a few audience members when he criticized literal interpretation of the biblical verse Genesis 1:16, which reads: “God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”He pointed out that the sun, the “greater light,” is but one of countless stars and that the “lesser light” is the moon, which really is not a light at all, rather a reflector of light.A number of audience members left the room at that point, visibly angered by what...
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More Secular Americans?
2007-08-21 12:25:00
Estimates of the number of nonbelievers in America vary wildly, but recent data suggest that there may be far more of us than we've realized. If accurate, these numbers suggest that politicians who continue to ignore us are making a mistake which could become increasingly costly.Here is some video on the subject.H/T to Debunking ChristianityTags: atheist, atheism, secular, godless, nonbelievers, America
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Turning The Other Cheek?
2007-08-20 12:37:00
Christians are advised in their bibles and by their "savior" to "turn the other cheek" and "love" their enemies (Matthew 5:38:45). In fact, they are expected to believe that their own savior sought forgiveness for the very people who killed him (Luke 23:34). What then are we to make of the refusal of an overwhelming majority of American Christians to follow such admonitions when it comes to someone like Osama bin Laden?Bin Laden is once again a hot topic, especially in the presidential debates, as questions mount about why we still haven't caught him and whether Iraq was an unwelcome distraction from doing so. It is probably accurate to say that he is the man Americans most hate and that he has been so since 9/11.It it not my intention to defend bin Laden. He is a despicable example of the consequences of religious extremism, and his very existence should be a troubling reminder of what happens when religious zealots acquire the means to harm others. He is a dangerously deluded ind...
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Texas State/Church Separation Rally Sept. 8 in Austin
2007-08-19 16:07:00
Texas may be a hotbed of religious idiocy, but the state also has its share of freethinkers who value church-state separation. There will be a rally at the Texas State Capitol Building on Saturday, September 8, featuring speakers from American Atheists, The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, The Freethinkers at the University of Texas as Arlington, and The Freethinkers Association of Central Texas.According to Joe Zamecki, Texas State Director of American Atheists, the goals of the rally include:To speak out for the civil rights of non-religious Americans.To vocally promote the separation of government from religion.To show support for the Croft family in Carrollton who have sued over the moment of silence in their public school. (No matter how the case ends, or whether it's over by then or not.)To protest the flurry of religious bills and now religious laws coming from our current Texas State Legislature.The rally will take place on Saturday, September 8, 2007 from...
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More Tragic When a Christian Dies?
2007-08-18 21:03:00
From the title and focus of this article, I'd have to say that the author believes that death is somehow more tragic when it happens to a Christian and even more so when it happens to a fundamentalist Christian. I'm at a loss for words. I'll be filing this one under WTF.
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Learn More About Atheism Sunday Morning on CBS
2007-08-18 13:22:00
CBS Sunday Morning tomorrow will feature Ellen Johnson, Christopher Hitchens, and Julia Sweeney. The show airs Sunday at 9am ET. For more information, see here. Lets hope CBS handles the topic a little better than CNN did.H/T to The Friendly AtheistTags: Ellen Johnson, Christopher Hitchens, Julia Sweeney, atheism, CBS Sunday Morning, television
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Operation Foxhole Atheists
2007-08-17 19:58:00
The North Alabama Freethought Association and Blair Scott, the Alabama State Director for American Atheists , want you to know about Operation Foxhole Atheists.Atheist soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines need our support in Iraq! Regardless of your views of the war, we all recognize that politicians put us in Iraq, not the soldiers. As long as politicians are keeping our men and women in uniform there, they need our moral support.For more information please go to:http://www.alabamaatheist.org/operatio nfoxholeatheists.htmTags: North Alabama Freethought Association, Alabama, American Atheists, Operation Foxhole Atheists, atheist, atheism, military
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Atheism: The Important Questions
2007-08-17 13:56:00
I long for a post-religious world where congregations of believers cling to private superstitions while science, education, and government are free from the toxic influence of religion. The atheist movement has done a remarkable job of demonstrating that theistic belief is both irrational and detrimental. Efforts to promote atheism are growing, and fundamentalist Christians are worried. Now, some atheists are beginning to explore potential next steps. In this post, I try to identify some of the important questions for us to consider as we work to progress beyond religion.I do not intend what follows to be an exhaustive list. I am trying to highlight what I think are the most critical of many possible questions we must address.What are the benefits individual believers derive (or think they derive) from theistic belief? We need to catalog the actual or imagined benefits to believers from belief itself, stripping away potential benefits derived more from the institution of religion. S...
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Know Them By Their Deeds: Pastor Prays For Harm to Befall AU Staff
2007-08-16 21:21:00
Americans United for Separation of Church and State recently asked the IRS to investigate unlawful politicking by the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA. Now the pastor of this church has responded, only it isn't what you'd expect. Rather than denying the allegations, this pastor decided to respond by calling on his congregation to pray for assorted bad things to happen to AU staff.AU's complaint indicated that the church's pastor had used church resources to endorse Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. That is, AU alleged that the church had violated the federal law prohibiting non-profit religious groups with tax-exempt status from endorsing candidates by promoting Huckabee as "god's candidate."“Federal tax law is clear,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, “Churches and other non-profits may not endorse candidates, if they want to keep their tax exemption. I am confident that the vast majority of Americans do not w...
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Atheist Symbols: The Message Matters More
2007-08-16 13:48:00
Many symbols have been proposed to represent atheism and all have generated controversy within the secular community. The most recent example is the scarlet A championed by Richard Dawkins and adopted by many prominent atheist bloggers. It is natural to want such a symbol, but I'm not sure it is worth the attention many of us have been devoting to it. Instead, we must remember that the message matters far more than the symbol.When I was in graduate school, students rotated through a placement at the university's counseling center. Our work with students was supervised by counseling center staff. One of the staff members was openly gay, and I remember that he had a rainbow sign on his office door that said something like "GLBT friendly zone." Even if I've remembered some of the words incorrectly, this was definitely the message.Not only was this staff counselor gay, but working with GLBT students was his specialty. He carried a large load of such students, ran a number of relevant...
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Mitt Romney "Not Running as Mormon?"
2007-08-15 13:44:00
What do you make of Mitt Romney 's recent statement during an interview on conservative radio that he is "not running as a Mormon ?" Unless I'm missing something fairly obvious here, Romney is running as a Mormon. He has chosen this faith freely and could reject it for a reality-based belief system if he wanted to do so. It seems absurd that he would not realize that his religion, which many Americans associate with polygamy, would not be a topic of interest.I noted how Romney said he was proud of his faith one minute and then indicated he did not want to talk about it the next. As Pam at Pam's House Blend explained, "Mitt's trying to navigate attracting the bible beaters by citing his faith without drawing too much attention to Mormonism specifically..." It does appear that he's trying to have it both ways, and it is hard to imagine that this will prove successful.It seems to me that when a candidate uses his or her religious beliefs to claim morality, as a rationale for opposin...
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The Great American God-Out
2007-08-13 20:42:00
Smoking may be unhealthy, but it pales in comparison to the ill effects of theistic belief. Drawing on the Great American Smokeout for inspiration, Dr. Lydia Hartunian and her students are organizing a new holiday - The Great America n God-Out - on November 15, 2007. Now she is calling on the secular community to make this "a huge success and an event the public and the media can not ignore."Hartunian says the God-Out will have two goals:It is a day to teach others how to live as if there is no god--even if just for one day. It is also a day to lobby for genuine separation of church and states and separation of church and science.She encourages all freethinkers to spread the word and consider organizing local events. The website also has some good ideas for how to observe the day:Plan ahead to to make time for friendly conversation with others about God and religion.Be cashless for just one day and do not exchange actual US currency stamped with "In God We Trust." Ask yourself whe...
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Critical Thinking at the University: The Failure of BYU
2007-08-13 12:59:00
University-level education is supposed to be about more than just getting a job after graduation; it is supposed to be an opportunity to learn how to think effectively. Regardless of the academic discipline, students learn the history of their chosen field, recent developments in the area, and current controversies. And yet, most fields of study also extol the virtues of critical thinking. This is what makes university education such a potent friend to the reality-based community. Sadly, there are exceptions, as some universities have abandoned this noble goal in pursuit of ancient superstition.I recall my college years with fondness as a time of intense self-reflection, wide ranging interpersonal experience, identity development, and discovery. In every subject, the professors who made an impression were those who challenged my preconceptions and encouraged critical thinking. Even in religion courses (yes, I took two courses in religion), nothing was accepted at face value. Student...
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Humanist Symposium #6
2007-08-12 20:25:00
The Humanist Symposium blog carnival is now up at A Load of Bright. A perfect way to spend a Sunday.Learn more about The Humanist SymposiumSubmit a blog post to a future edition of The Humanist SymposiumTags: blog carnival, humanist, humanism, secular
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Know Them By Their Deeds: Pastor Drags Girl Behind Van
2007-08-12 14:58:00
Another tale of that Christian love you've heard so much about. This one comes out of San Antonio, TX, where a pastor and an employee of the Love Demonstrated Ministries' boot camp were arrested for aggravated assault. This "man of god," Charles E. Flowers, is accused of dragging a girl behind a van after she fell behind during a run.Surely, such a terrible accusation must be overblown by the media (unless Flowers is not a real Christian)! Somebody better call Bill O'Reilly. Or maybe not. According to ReligionNewsBlog,Authorities said both Flowers and Bassitt restrained the girl June 12, tying her to the back of a van with a piece of rope before dragging her on her stomach at the Love Demonstrated Ministries’ boot camp in Banquete, about 10 miles west of Corpus Christi.The alleged victim in this terrible incident, age 15, says that this is not the first time she was assaulted at the camp. If you are as new to the whole idea of Christian boot camps as I am, it might be helpful t...
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Pray For The Miners
2007-08-11 22:23:00
The Utah mine collapse is all over the news. Several broadcasts show local residents displaying large banners that say something like "pray for the miners." When I see such signs, a question never fails to pop into my mind: Why? Of course, we're all hoping that they'll find the miners unharmed, but why would anyone call for prayer when there is clear evidence that intercessory prayer is ineffective?Of course, many believers find evidence completely irrelevant. They believe because their parents believed, and they've never really questioned it. They believe because they are rewarded by their communities for doing so. Most of all, they believe based on faith, precluding the use of reason or evidence.If I had a loved one who had either died or was trapped underground in the Utah mine collapse, I would not want to see any of these signs. I'd rather see my neighbors doing anything that would have a reasonable probability of actually helping. And when it became clear that there was no...
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Coming Out As An Atheist
2007-08-11 22:00:00
If you are considering being more open about your atheism, you might enjoy a unique new blog, Coming Out Godless, devoted to atheists sharing stories about "coming out." There are many thought-provoking posts, and one of the many things I take from them is the importance of supporting those who are navigating this difficult process.Check out Coming Out Godless, and share your story if you want.Tags: atheism, blog, godless, coming out
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PBS To Air Dover ID Trial
2007-08-11 17:36:00
Thanks to Brother Richard at Life Without Faith for this announcement:PBS is planning to air a 2-hour special called Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial on November 13, 2007 at 8 pm ET. The special concerns the infamous 2004 trial in Dover , PA, during which Judge John E. Jones III ruled that teaching ID as science was unconstitutional (because ID is not science).It will be nice for this important case to receive more attention.Tags: entertainment, science, intelligent design, television, Dover, law, legal, trial, PBS

The OUT Campaign
2007-08-10 15:00:00
Regular readers may be surprised to learn that I do support the idea behind the OUT Campaign given my recent reaction to what I initially perceived as little more than a marketing strategy. Although my negative reaction focused on a statement made by PZ Myers at Pharyngula, I clearly expressed distaste for Dawkins' OUT Campaign. So how can I now say that I generally support the campaign? Dawkins has since clarified what the campaign is all about, and I now believe that it is something I can support.The negative comments I previously made about the OUT Campaign were based on the contents of the campaign website at that time and comments made by PZ Myers. I perceived the campaign as a way for Dawkins to line his pockets by encouraging atheists to buy t-shirts with his scarlet letter. However, I was careful to state, "In truth, my real objection has little to do with Dawkins trying to make a buck off of this and more to do with a statement by a certain prominent blogger that those who...
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Future of Christianity Depends on Moderate Christians
2007-08-09 12:34:00
The future of Christianity in America depends far more on those Christians who would describe themselves as "moderate," "progressive," or "liberal" than on the fundamentalists who have recently championed the merging of religion and government. So far, many moderates have been content to ignore the fundamentalists. However, this must change if they want a form of Christianity they will recognize to endure.As Austin Cline suggests, an important task for moderate Christians involves shifting their energy from attacks on the secular community to the fundamentalists who give their religion such a bad name.Christians and religious believers should spend more time dealing with believers they think are giving them a bad name than with generalizations from atheists. Which is ultimately causing more harm: generalizations made by a few atheist bloggers, or the incessant privileging of religion, religious beliefs, and religious believers?It is understandable that moderate Christians resent bei...
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Why "Know Them By Their Deeds?"
2007-08-08 12:34:00
Regular readers will know that I periodically post reports of crimes committed by Christians (and yes, they are real Christians). I often include the phrase "Know Them By Their Deeds " in the post titles of such reports and have received criticism for doing so. So, why do I do it?The meaning of the "know them by their deeds" phrase comes from the Christian bible. Matthew 7:16 reads, "Ye shall know them by their fruits," and translators of the Greek and Hebrew generally interpret "fruit" as "deed," "act," or "work." The meaning is that it is often misleading to base one's impression of someone on their words and that we are better off focusing on their acts. That is, know them not so much by what they say but what they do.I use this phrase to highlight Christian hypocrisy. We all know that believers are fond of claiming moral superiority over nonbelievers. And yet, their deeds often suggest otherwise.My use of this phrase is not intended to signify that I believe all believers are w...

Christian Taliban Running the American Military?
2007-08-07 12:40:00
Time reports on a story which I expect will be familiar to many of you - the "Christian ization" of the American military. Reports of this disturbing trend have been around for awhile, but it is nice to finally see some coverage in mainstream media.According to Time,...the Inspector General's office of the Department of Defense released a report concluding that a former Pentagon chaplain and several generals inappropriately loaned the prestige of their positions — and that of the Pentagon and the U.S. government — to make a fundraising film for a non-governmental evangelical group, the so-called Christian Embassy. The report identified Christian Embassy as affiliated with the group Campus Crusade for Christ.For more on what is happening in the military and why we should be concerned, see this excellent article at Truthdig.Tags: American Taliban , Christian extremism, military, religion, Christianity
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More Evidence That Abstinence-Only Programs Don't Work
2007-08-06 12:58:00
Programs based on fundamentalist Christianity and championed by President Bush took another hit with the release of an Oxford University review of 13 US trials published in the British Medical Journal. The conclusion? "Sex abstinence programmes do not stop risky sexual behaviour or help in the prevention of unwanted pregnancy."As a taxpayer, I am appalled to learn that my tax dollars are supporting a budget where "a third of the President's HIV budget is given to abstinence programmes." People continue to die of AIDS while we squander resources on demonstrably ineffective treatments.Researchers found none of the abstinence-only programmes had an impact on the age at which individuals lost their virginity, whether they had unprotected sex, the number of sexual partners, the rates of sexually transmitted diseases or the number of pregnancies.I have no problem at all with abstinence being part of comprehensive sex education, but to continue funding abstinence-only programs in light of...
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Carnival of the Godless 72
2007-08-05 16:11:00
Welcome to the 72nd Carnival of the Godless ! Contributions have been pouring in all week, and there is some great godless reading to be found here. I hope that you will enjoy the posts as much as I have.If this is your first visit to Atheist Revolution, welcome. I am an atheist blogger living in a particularly harsh climate for atheists, Mississippi, so I appreciate the opportunity to interact with my fellow atheists more than I can quantify. I started this blog in early 2005 to promote freedom from irrationality and to oppose Christian extremism in America.ActivismMike Haubrich presents How Two People Can Influence the Education of A Nation posted at Tangled Up In Blue. AtheismBob Kowalski presents What would it take for me to stop being an atheist? posted at Bob Kowalski.James Lewitzke presents Top 10 Reasons to Not Believe in God posted at Toptenlisted.com.EntertainmentJon Swift presents Harry Potter Is a Brat posted at Jon Swift.James Westfall presents West Palm Beach woman sets...
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Give Dawkins Money or You're Not a Real Atheist: Postscript
2007-08-04 16:30:00
I really appreciated all the thought-provoking comments I received on my recent post, Give Dawkins Money or You're Not a Real Atheist . However, a few of the comments and some of the e-mail I received indicate that additional clarification might be beneficial. I am saddened to receive correspondence suggesting that my disagreement with either Richard Dawkins or PZ Myers is somehow harming the atheist movement. This sounds dogmatic, and this is something I think we need to avoid.First things first, I have the greatest respect and admiration for PZ Myers. I have a category in my RSS aggregator called "Best of the Best," and Paryngula is one of only four feeds there. When I am running short on time, these are the feeds I check first. I commend PZ for putting a public face on atheism because I know what courage this takes.Having said this, I do not necessarily agree with everything PZ says. We are not the same person, and it seems absurd to expect that we would agree on everything. In f...

What's Next For Atheism?
2007-08-03 18:03:00
The first step of the atheist revival has been a full-scale assault on religious belief. Books by Harris, Dawkins, and Hitchens have reminded modern atheists of classic arguments against theism, framing them in a contemporary context. Increasing numbers of atheists are utilizing the Internet to criticize religious belief, discuss atheism and secular humanism, and connect with other freethinkers. Others are coming together offline via meetup groups and secular organizations. Now some at the forefront of the atheist revival are starting to ask an important question: what's next for atheism?Bolstered by everything from a faith-based American presidency to the explosive growth of the atheist blogosphere, 2007 really has been the year of the atheist. Fueled primarily by recent atheist books on the bestseller list, the American media is paying more attention to atheism than they have at any point during my lifetime.With the spotlight on atheism, it is no surprise that new atheist blogs, ...
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