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Coming Soon: Iraq War Blogswarm
2008-02-15 12:46:00
Delta over at Freethought Weekly brought this one to my attention. March 19th will be the 5 year anniversary of Bush's unjust war against Iraq . In anticipation that this may not receive the attention it deserves in the media, there will be a blogswarm against the war on this date.Tags: Iraq war, Iraq, Bush
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Atheist Identity
2008-02-14 13:00:00
A recent post at the Bad Idea Blog titled "What’s Best for Atheism Isn’t What’s Best" and featured at the last Carnival of the Godless really got me thinking. Is atheism the inevitable outcome of the application of reason? If so, what good is an atheist movement? Might such a movement actually distract from more important priorities (e.g., critical thinking, reason, science, etc.) and contribute to confusion?According to "Bad,"What I care about is rationalism. Skepticism. Science. And while these values do, in fact, feed into why I don’t share the beliefs of theists, they aren’t necessary for me to be an atheist (I could imagine not believing even without them). Nor do I think that sharing similar values would make it necessary for someone else to become an atheist. But I care about these values, and there’s a big ole’ period at the end of that sentence.From this standpoint, atheism can be viewed as an incidental outcome. If one applies reason, skepticism, science, and...
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Crazed Christian Assaults Atheist in Coffee Shop
2008-02-13 12:38:00
Kristine at Amused Muse has a disturbing post in which she describes a scary encounter with a crazed Christian . Fortunately, this particular assault was of the verbal variety, but Kristine's tears tell me that it had quite an impact. Her description of the incident reminds us all that this sort of thing happens more than many of us would like to admit.Kristine's post begins with the following:I can't imagine a mentality more degraded than someone marching up to us in a coffee shop and saying, essentially, "You'll be sorry that you're atheists!" and asking a person why they exist.I wholeheartedly agree. What sort of individual would decide that it was acceptable to antagonize a complete stranger in this manner? As I have said before, I think part of the answer lies in the notion that the very existence of atheists is problematic for many Christians. They may be willing to consider us a theoretical possibility living in some distant city but not as their neighbors.Kristine's pos...
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America's Evolution Denial
2008-02-12 12:47:00
If you have ever used a computer, talked on a cell phone, visited a physician, or operated a motor vehicle, you have benefited from science. Much of the food you eat, the medicines you use, and so many other things you may take for granted have been influenced by the biological sciences in particular. In addition to being the foundation of the modern biological sciences, evolutionary theory has been more rigorously evaluated and received more empirical support than any other theory from any branch of science. And yet, more Americans endorse creationist explanations for human origins than evolutionary ones (2001 Gallup poll).The Importance of America's Evolution Denial America has a long history of religious fundamentalism, and Americans' distaste for evolution is not exactly a new phenomenon. Despite widespread rejection of evolution in the general population, American science has continued to advance to the benefit of all citizens. Why then should this be a pressing concern now?It...

Scientists Colluding with Ignorance on Evolution Weekend
2008-02-11 12:43:00
An odd article appeared in the Battle Creek Enquirer (Michigan) reporting on an Evolution Weekend event held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. According to the article, a panel of "experts" came to the conclusion that science and religion can agree on the origins of the universe. And no, I still haven't told you the really odd part.The panel of 7 "experts" appeared to consist of at least a few scientists: professors of physics, geology, neurobiology. Don't ask me what any of these fields have to do with evolution or why nobody would think to invite a biologist or two. The rest of the "experts" were clergy. Somehow, being a rector or deacon makes one an expert on evolution too.The truly odd part came at the end of the panel presentations when audience members were offered the opportunity to ask questions.Fred Betz, 63, of Galesburg told the panelists he took the words of the Bible at face value, and his understanding of scripture disproved evolution."What's wrong with my simplistic ...
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God Wants Scorched Earth Warfare
2008-02-10 15:10:00
Continuing on with this project to read the Christian bible cover to cover is becoming increasingly arduous. I find that I have to be in the right mood to read it, and that even then, it is slow going. My last post in this series dealt with Deuteronomy and Joshua. This one has me moving through Judges, Ruth, and 1 Samuel. Frankly, it also has me wondering how much more of this I can take.The first thing to strike me about Judges is that we have seen a pattern across several Old Testament books of the Israelites repeatedly committing evil acts in the eyes of their god. They are punished in a variety of ways, ranging from famine to enslavement by foreign nations. Each time misery befalls them, it is because their god either punishes them directly or punishes indirectly by withholding protection of some sort.The reader can certainly sympathize with poor Gideon when he asks one of god's prophets, "But sir, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonde...
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Florida Atheists to Celebrate Darwin Day
2008-02-09 17:17:00
Florida atheists recently received some positive media attention in the form of an article by Lois K. Solomon in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The article mentioned that over 200 atheists are expected at Fern Forest Nature Preserve to celebrate Darwin Day."It's empowering to be among people who share your world view," said Madea, 60, a Broward Community College chemistry professor. "You don't have to apologize for who you are and what you believe."I am going to e-mail Ms. Solomon to thank her for her article.Tags: Florida, atheist, atheism, Darwin Day
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Discussion on Atheist Parenting
2008-02-09 14:49:00
There seems to be a real shortage of information available for atheist parents, and I know this is a topic of great interest to atheists with children or those planning to have children soon. If this is a topic of interest to you, I encourage you to head over to Exercise in Futility for a discussion of how atheist parents discuss religion with their children. You might also want to check out either Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion or Humanism for Parents - Parenting without Religion.Tags: atheism, atheist, secular, religion, atheist parenting, parenting
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Community-Building: Atheist Support Groups
2008-02-08 12:17:00
In many parts of America, atheists do not feel free to be open about their atheism. Reasons range from social ostracization to threats to one's personal safety. Indeed, living as an atheist in many parts of American can be a lonely experience. Atheist groups do exist in many communities, but they tend to attract few active members, suggesting that they may not adequately meet the needs of other atheist residents. Could we learn something from the support group model? Perhaps atheist support groups would be an attractive option to consider.Many larger communities have some sort of informal groups for atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and the like. I do not have much personal experience with such groups because my community lacks one. When I examine such groups in this region, I find that most seem to operate as either loosely organized social clubs. Examples of common activities include potlucks, presentations on various freethought topics, and community cleanup projects.My complai...
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Believer Promotes Her Church
2008-02-07 12:38:00
For nonbelievers, the appeal of church can be somewhat puzzling. We tend to understand the fellowship part, but the notion of worshiping what we know to be the product of human fantasy tends to seem little more than an exercise in narcissistic self-delusion (i.e., it must be true because I really want it to be true). Let's examine how a believer describes the appeal of her church.Every Saturday, my local paper includes a "Faith & Vales." Among other things, this section always includes a brief profile of a local church. One such profile caught my eye earlier this month, and I've been saving it for just such a post.The profile, titled "Christian Tabernacle is place of love, warmth," included a quote from a church member attempting to verbalize what was so wonderful about her church, Christian Tabernacle Church of the Apostolic Faith. Here is what she had to say, grammatical mistakes and all:Christian Tabernacle is a place of love and warmth. If you are looking for a church home...

Conform to Christianity or Else
2008-02-06 12:40:00
Anyone who has successfully navigated their own adolescence has some understanding of the peer pressure and related phenomena which compel many youth to try to fit in with the crowd. In adulthood, the pressures change a bit, but many people continue to experience them to some degree, especially in the workplace. So it should come as little surprise that our elected officials are not immune to the demands of conformity. What may be surprising is the degree to which these pressures influence their decision-making.Sally Quinn's article in the Washington Post appeared back in December and has been in my queue of to-blog material ever since. Sally opens by describing some disturbing childhood recollections involving a "born again" teacher who took advantage of childhood pressures to conform and fear of punishment to push her beliefs on his pupils.As a child, I went to a small school in rural Alabama near an Army post where my father was stationed. It was a very Christian town, and our t...
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This Is My Country
2008-02-05 22:06:00
On this Super Tuesday when Americans are heading to the polls in many states and predictions are that we may soon have a Republican nominee, it is worth remembering that some of America's problems cannot be solved by a presidential election. Some problems will be slow to change and will require considerable support for an often neglected educational system.78% of Americans have favorable views of presidential candidates citing the Christian bible when speaking about their political positions.75% of Americans believe that it is appropriate for each President to be sworn into office on a Christian bible.60% report that they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who "speaks publicly about following the example of admirable leaders from the Bible and who consistently uses the Bible for guidance in both public and personal matters."50% would not vote for an atheist. - Source: The American Bible Society using a nationwide survey of 1,008 adults matched to U.S. census data on age a...
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Bush Pushing Faith-Based Initiaves Again
2008-02-05 12:33:00
In his recent State of the Union address, President Bush asked Congress to protect his faith-based initiatives by making them permanent. According to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, it is unlikely that his request will be granted.According to executive director Rev. Barry W. Lynn, "Bush’s ‘faith-based’ initiative has been a colossal failure. It undercut civil rights laws and jeopardized important religious liberty safeguards."If Americans United is right and Congress refuses to grant Bush's request, any executive orders he signs in the remainder of his term can easily be reversed by the next president.Lynn noted that former officials in the Bush White House Office of Faith -Based and Community Initiatives stated publicly that the administration never took the faith-based initiative seriously and that it was often misused to help Republican candidates for public office.It sounds as if King George is really convinced that he is above the law, doesn't it?Tag...

Carnival of the Godless at Mind on Fire
2008-02-04 20:11:00
Carnival of the Godless #84 is up at Mind on Fire . John was kind enough to include my post on Christian extremism. Check it out to get your fix of godless reading.Tags: blog carnival, atheism, secular, godless, Christian extremism
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I'm Ready To Support Obama
2008-02-04 16:06:00
I suppose "undecided no more" might have been a better title for this one, but I figured I should be more descriptive. It took me awhile, but I have arrived at the point where I can comfortably support Barack Obama for president. Why did it take me so long to get to this point, how did I get here, and is there anything I can say to those still on the fence that might help them make a decision? Let's find out.I supported Kucinich from the beginning but was slow to announce my support because I did not want to rush to judgment without watching a few debates and reading more about the positions of each candidate on the issues. Even while supporting Kucinich, I found that I liked Edwards enough to consider him a viable second choice. When the Kucinich campaign was destroyed by the corporate media, I had little difficulty switching my support to Edwards. Sadly, his campaign quickly met with the same fate.In arriving at this point, with the field narrowed to Clinton and Obama, I hit a wa...
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Will Jesus Fix Our Economy?
2008-02-03 22:00:00
Getting tired of all the political hoopla yet? How about a good laugh instead? According to Andy Borowitz at the Huffington Post, GOP presidential hopeful and laughing-stock extraordinaire, Mike Huckabee, is trying to stir up his evangelical base before Tuesday's election by asking someone who died over 2,000 years ago (if he lived at all) to help our economy. That's right, the Huckster is calling on Jesus for help. How's that for a stimulus package?Borowitz describes Huckabee begging Jesus for "a fresh infusion of loaves and fishes" during his Alabama press conference.The former Arkansas governor was not specific about the exact dollar amount of the loaves and fishes that he had asked Jesus to inject into the U.S. economy, but advisors later said that it was somewhere in the ballpark of $70 billion.Can't you easily imagine something like this happening? This the guy who keeps telling the media how tired he is of all the questions about his religious delusion and whether it woul...
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Neal Boortz Calls New Orleans "City of Parasites"
2008-02-03 16:59:00
Cross-posted at Consequences of Republicanism. According to Media Matters, conservative talk radio host Neal Boortz referred to New Orleans as "a city of parasites, a city of people who could not and had no desire to fend for themselves" during his January 30th show. Boortz also made inexcusable remarks about victims of Hurricane Katrina, saying, "When these Katrina so-called refugees were scattered about the country, it was just a glorified episode of putting out the garbage."Expressing what has become fairly typical Republican outrage over the tendency of many Americans to blame Bush for the inadequate federal response to Hurricane Katrina, Boortz said,But I am fed up with this conventional wisdom that Katrina and the disaster that followed was George Bush's fault. It was not. The primary blame goes on the worthless parasites who lived in New Orleans who you -- couldn't even wipe themselves, let alone get out of the way of the water when that levee broke.In the midst of what I c...
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Petition to Block Creationist Idiocy in Florida
2008-02-03 15:38:00
Panda's Thumb has posted a link to an online petition sponsored by Florida Citizens for Science in an effort to maintain pressure on Florida's Board of Education to adopt the new proposed science standards. This is important because efforts are underway to dilute the science standards with creationist idiocy. Thanks to Panda's Thumb for helping to publicize this important issue.Tags: science education, Florida, creationism, petition, activism, education
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One More Undecided Voter
2008-02-02 20:20:00
I've made no secret out of wanting a progressive candidate for president in 2008. I supported Dennis Kucinich until the corporate media killed his campaign by denying him coverage. I then shifted my support to John Edwards, even though it had already become increasingly clear that he would meet the same end. It happened much sooner than I had anticipated. Now I'm left with two Democratic candidates I don't particularly like, trying to figure out what to do next.Voting Republican is not an option in this election. The platform of the Republican party (e.g., nationalistic militarism, tax breaks for the wealthiest citizens, social conservatism, Christian evangelism, etc.) is simply untenable. America is in desperate need of meaningful change, and the Bush regime has done so much damage that the task of restoring our country cannot be entrusted to another Republican.It is entirely possible that the Democratic nominee will be decided before Mississippi's primary in March. However, I ...

Christian Politicans in Iowa Object to Opening Prayer
2008-02-02 14:18:00
Iowa legislators are up in arms over the prayer that opened their session. Could it be that they are finally coming around to the realization that such prayers have no place in government and are an embarrassing relic of ancient superstition? Not quite. Instead, they are upset because the opening prayer was delivered by a Muslim Imam instead of a Christian .According to the Storm Lake Pilot Tribune, it sounds like the prayer was extremely inappropriate regardless of its source, calling for "victory over those who disbelieve." And yet it sounds like the objections, mostly coming from evangelicals (go figure), focus on the fact that the prayer came from a Muslim.Pastor Steve Smith of the Evangelical Free Church admits not knowing much of anything about Islam but is nevertheless concerned that "victory over those who disbelieve" is "a request in the Iowa Legislature for God to grant the Muslims victory over every non-muslim (sic). Not a request for salvation." Yeah, don't confuse his ...
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My Conflict Over Religious Bigotry, Part 1
2008-02-01 12:40:00
I begin most of the posts I write for this blog with a clear message I want to impart to the reader and a fairly clear idea of where the post will end up when I am finished. However, there are times when I write more for myself, beginning in a somewhat muddled state and hoping for clarity to emerge through the writing process. This is just such a post. In fact, I intend this to be the first in what will probably turn into a multi-part series (perhaps that reflects the depth of my ambiguity on this topic). The general topic will be that of religious discrimination and bigotry.I begin this topic with no clear idea of where I will arrive and in full recognition that I am deeply conflicted over much of what I will say. For the reader to appreciate why this is a difficult topic for me and to understand the source of my conflict, I will start by attempting to describe the scope of the problem and then attempt to probe the heart of my confusion.Religious Discrimination and Bigotry In a gen...
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Know Them By Their Deeds: Former Pastor Stole From Children's Food Program
2008-01-31 12:40:00
It would seem that only the most callous sort of person would take food from hungry children (although many Republicans would like to end programs to aid such children). According to the Associated Press, a former pastor in Texas is about to be sentenced for stealing $586,347 from a summer program to feed needy children.James Cornell Clark, formerly a former pastor at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, has already been convicted of importing a Kenyan prostitute and forcing her to have sex with him and is soon to be sentenced on 41 counts of fraud for misrepresenting his church as the sponsor of a Department of Agriculture program to provide meals to needy children over the summer.Clark was laundering the money through bogus corporations, such as the Mt. Vernon Faith-in-Action Outreach Project and Trinity Christian Outreach Ministries, and putting it to personal use.Tags: hypocrisy, Texas, pastor, fraud, criminal, religion
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Empathy For Christians
2008-01-30 12:39:00
Many atheists will acknowledge that they sometimes feel sorry for their Christian neighbors. But this pity is not the same thing as empathy. How many atheists experience feelings of empathy for the believers surrounding them? Are such feelings beneficial, possibly contributing to effective dialogue, or do they get in our way?Pity vs. EmpathyPity amounts to feeling sorry for someone and often carries a condescending aspect. For example, one may pity Christians for their inability to live free from the delusion that nonbelievers have escaped. Nobody particularly wants to be pitied, as most are aware of the subtle insult it contains.In contrast, empathy refers to a capacity to relate to another in a nonjudgmental, emotionally relevant manner. When we talk of walking in the shoes of another or seeing the world through someone else's eyes, we are close to empathy. However, empathy carries a vital emotional component in that the empathic persons is able to relate on an emotional level an...

What Is Christian Extremism?
2008-01-28 14:02:00
The tagline for Atheist Revolution is "Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism in America." Most people are familiar with the concept of "religious extremism," but what exactly is Christian extremism?I trust that you are used to hearing terms such as "religious extremism," "Islamofascist," "Islamic extremist," and the like. If you have been exposed to any of the American media's coverage of Bush's unjust war in Iraq, you have encountered these phrases countless times. They provide us with a useful starting point in defining Christian extremism.In the interest of both brevity and improved understanding, I will place the following discussion in a Christian context, exploring the meanings of Christian fundamentalism, extremism, and terrorism. What do we mean by Christian fundamentalism, and what criteria identify a Christian fundamentalist? Drawing on multiple scholarly sources, we can utilize the following criteria:Biblical Inerrancy/Literalism (at leas...
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Post on Doubting Faith Included In Christian Blog Carnival
2008-01-27 20:39:00
Kudos to Christian blogger, Hopeful Spirit of On the Horizon for including my post, "Doubting Your Faith ?" in The Seventh Day blog carnival. Hopeful's rationale for including the post?Why is a post from an atheist included in a blog carnival hosted at a Christian site? Because the philosophy here at On the Horizon is and always will be “radical inclusivity.” Christians are called to love everyone, including — and many would say especially — our atheist and agnostic brothers and sisters. The author included this description when submitting his article to the carnival: “This post asks Christians who are doubting their faith to consider a possibility that may be new to them - the possibility that their doubt is a healthy reflection of their rational mind trying to break free from superstition to experience genuine meaning.” Here’s an opportunity for Christian and nonbelieving readers to engage in a meaningful dialogue!If you are interested in this sort of dialogue, check...
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American Youth Walk Away From Church
2007-08-27 12:03:00
I do hope that humanity will eventually perceive religion for what it is (i.e., irrational belief that causes great harm), but I am not naive enough to think I'll live to see this happen. Instead, I expect the influence of religion to gradually decline. This decline will be far from linear, as periodic religious revivals are to be anticipated. Still, I cannot help celebrating each indicator of such a decline.A recent survey by LifeWay Research, a branch of the Southern Baptist Convention, shows that Protestant churches in America are losing increasing numbers of young adult congregants. According to USA Today,Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to the survey by LifeWay Research. And 34% of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.What makes this particular su...
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HSM's Zac Efron is Agnostic
2007-08-26 15:55:00
Zac Efron, the star of High School Musical 2, said that he was raised agnostic in an interview with Rolling Stone, and The Jewish Daily Forward reports that Efron remains agnostic. Perhaps this news will prompt some fans to think about the role of religious belief in their lives and realize that it is not necessary.H/T to The Friendly AtheistTags: High School Musical 2, Zac Efron, agnostic
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World Animal Day
2007-08-26 15:22:00
World Animal Day is October 4, and with the recent media interest in dogfighting, this may be a particularly good year to spread the word. Some Christian groups are already involved, and I'd like to see more atheists active in promoting awareness. As Abraham Lincoln said, "I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it."Tags: World Animal Day, dogfighting, atheist, activism, animal
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Any Australian Readers?
2007-08-25 14:44:00
I'm not sure if I have any Australian readers here, but if you are an atheist living in Australia, the Secular Party of Australia needs your help. They want their party to be listed on the ballot for the upcoming election, and they need additional members to make this happen. Membership is free, and you would be helping to bring attention to secularism in Australia.H/T to The Friendly AtheistTags: Australia, Secular Party of Australia, politics, election
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Founder of San Francisco Atheists Honored
2007-08-25 14:19:00
According to an Inside Bay Area article by Julia Scott, the founder of San Francisco Atheists , Jim Heldberg, will be honored tonight with a public dinner in San Francisco. Heldberg is the rare sort of atheist activist who fully embraces atheism and is not afraid to speak out against the importance of keeping religion out of government and politics.Like most American atheists, Heldberg was indoctrinated into Christian superstition. Fortunately, it didn't stick."I couldn't square religion with my goal of being a scientist," says Heldberg, now 66. "How does prayer work? Nobody can explain it. How can there be invisible people in the sky? I wanted it to fit, and it frustrated me that it didn't fit."Although he initially felt alienated, Heldberg was fortunate enough to find fellow freethinkers in the Bay Area. He certainly was not going to find support in the Christian community.Declaring himself as an atheist in public has caused Heldberg to receive harassing phone calls and e-mails ...
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