Atheist

I was sick last weekend, and I'm still feeling lousy. I have no energy and feel like I could sleep all the time. If I'm not feeling any better by this afternoon, I'll probably have to visit the doctor. I've just been holding off because of the expense. You see, I recently opted out of my employer-paid medical plan for a free one with much better benefits. The new plan does not even require me to v

John Loftus, creator of Debunking Christianity, has informed me that his book, Why I Became an Atheist, is scheduled for release in July. For those of you that are familiar with his other offering, Why I Rejected Christianity, you know what to expect. Clear, consice arguments laid out in great storyteller fashion. Dr. Michael Shermer, Publisher [...]

I’ve made little secret here about my feelings toward Christianity and the rest of the world’s religions. Religious belief is inherently irrational, and while religion has resulted in considerable good, precious little of it has been unique to religion (i.e., much of the good with which religion has been credited can be and has been achieved through non-religious routes). Worse, the considerab

Some call it "new atheism." Others, and I count myself among them, prefer to talk about an atheist movement, atheist revival, or even atheist pride. But no matter what we call it, I think we can agree increased visibility is likely to improve attitudes toward atheists. Just think of how many times you have heard a Christian say that he or she has never met an atheist. Could this be a factor in mai

Religion foes' billboard sparks discussion, shrugs(Hat Tip: Meeks inCA)(All embedded links added by BabbaZee)By Electa Draper The Denver PostDenver's secularists wanting freedom from religion have taken over one corner in the public square to make the point.They've emblazoned a billboard six blocks from the state Capitol with the message, inscribed over faux stained glass, "Imagine No Religion."Mo

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that evolution had created. "What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!", he said to himself. As he was walking along the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. When he turned to see what the cause was, he saw a 7-foot grizzly charging right towards him. He ran as fast as he could. He looked over his

Brought to you by the monkeys at : World for fun An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that evolution had created. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!”, he said to himself. As he was walking along the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. [...]

This is a follow-up to a recent post I wrote about atheist liberation. Several readers left insightful comments. I really appreciated the reminder about the vast regional differences in attitudes toward atheists throughout the United States. This is an important point, one of which I need to be periodically reminded. However, I believe that the bulk of what I wrote previously, and certainly my mot

I’m amazed as just how often the words “homosexual” and “atheist” are used in the same sentence and how frequently homosexuals and atheists are presented as being one of the same. And what’s more apparently share a political agenda to run rough-shod over Christendom and traditional family values. There are a plethora of socially-conservative organisations, such

Drawing on the Civil Rights movement for inspiration and tactics, the Gay Rights and Women's Liberation movements accomplished a great deal. While their work is by no means finished, each of these movements has made massive strides once difficult to imagine. Along with others, I have previously suggested that we atheists can learn a great deal from those that have been successful before us. Atheis

What does the future hold for atheism in the United States? Will momentum build until even our harshest critics will acknowledge the reality of the atheist movement, or might our growing influence wane and further delay the goal of atheist equality? I'm no fortune teller, but I'll gladly speculate on what we might see over the next few years. This post focuses on the future of American atheism wit

Atheist Revolution has a new domain on the web, so please be sure to update your links. While I am still hosting with Blogger for now, this new domain is likely the first step toward eventually moving to a new host and blogging platform.New URL:

Freethought blogs are a great way to interact with other atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists on the Internet. Forums provide another opportunity. They are more egalitarian in that anyone can begin a thread. This means that participants do not have to wait for the blogger to do a post on a particular subject. They are also an ideal place for some theist-atheist debate. I have assembled a sho

Sometimes, I admit, I lose faith. I lose faith in goodness. I lose faith in humanity. I lose faith in God. Sometimes, maybe, you do too. As many of you know, I love discussing the exploration of space. To gain a perspective of where you are in the universe right now, just try watching the "zoom out" introduction to Contact. But once you get beyond our current galaxy, you tend to disa

You may be surprised that it would bother me to learn that a U.S. soldier stationed in Iraq was using the Quran for target practice. Knowing that I am an atheist, you may expect me to think that shooting up a Quran or any other "holy" book is a step in the right direction. However, I believe that this incident does far more harm than good. Of course I deny that the Quran is any more "holy" than an

You may be surprised that it would bother me to learn that a U.S. soldier stationed in Iraq was using the Quran for target practice. Knowing that I am an atheist, you may expect me to think that shooting up a Quran or any other "holy" book is a step in the right direction. However, I believe that this incident does far more harm than good. Of course I deny that the Quran is any more "holy" than an

Hi. My name’s Emily and I’m 14. I’ve been athiest for about a year. I haven’t told my parents, and I still go to church with them. I don’t have the heart to tell them. Anyway, I’ve found one other atheist, my best friend. All of my other friends are very religious. I’m afraid to [...]

In case you haven't already found them, Carnival of the Godless #91 is up at State of Protest, and the Humanist Symposium #19 is up at Letters From a Broad. Time to get reading.Tags: atheist, blog, blog carnival, Carnival of the Godless, Humanist Symposium

In case you haven't already found them, Carnival of the Godless #91 is up at State of Protest, and the Humanist Symposium #19 is up at Letters From a Broad. Time to get reading.Tags: atheist, blog, blog carnival, Carnival of the Godless, Humanist Symposium

With increasing numbers of freethinkers "coming out" and openly identifying themselves as atheists, agnostics, and/or secular humanists, some are suggesting that secular churches may be useful. Of course, atheism is not a religion, and the concept of atheist churches strikes some as a bit silly. Still, I do not think we should hastily dismiss the idea without carefully considering the advantages they might bring. Besides, calling an institution a church does not necessarily mean that it must resemble religious churches.Imagine having an atheist church in your community. What would be the potential benefits? I suggest that they would include at least the following:Increased sense of community, belonging, and social supportIncreased public presence (i.e., atheists would be more visible to bo

With increasing numbers of freethinkers "coming out" and openly identifying themselves as atheists, agnostics, and/or secular humanists, some are suggesting that secular churches may be useful. Of course, atheism is not a religion, and the concept of atheist churches strikes some as a bit silly. Still, I do not think we should hastily dismiss the idea without carefully considering the advantages t

I received an e-mail from a reader in the Atlanta, GA, area who is considering quitting her job to do something that involves helping atheists. My initial response to her was that there were a multitude of ways one could help atheists or become an atheist activist that would not necessarily require a job change (e.g., strengthening secular public education, advocating for reason and science, becoming politically active, etc.). But suppose that someone really does want to make a major life change and really throw themselves into the atheist movement. I know some of you have worked for various atheist organizations. Any ideas or suggestions?Tags: Atlanta, Georgia, atheist, job, employment, activism, education, advocacy, atheist movement

I received an e-mail from a reader in the Atlanta, GA, area who is considering quitting her job to do something that involves helping atheists. My initial response to her was that there were a multitude of ways one could help atheists or become an atheist activist that would not necessarily require a job change (e.g., strengthening secular public education, advocating for reason and science, becom

It was only late March when the Atheist Blogroll hit 600 blogs, and it is now approaching 700. Think about that for a minute. There are nearly 700 atheist-oriented blogs. Could it be that growing numbers of atheists are no longer content to sit on the sidelines but have something to say about the oppressively religious cultures in which many find ourselves?If we can even begin to organize our our numbers, harnessing our energy, creativity, and other talents, we could give voice to atheism in a way we have not yet witnessed. If the authors of the blogs appearing on the Atheist Blogroll can be thought of as a sort of grassroots, this would be an excellent place to start. What can we do to bring this collection of bloggers together and maximize our influence?Tags: Atheist Blogroll, atheist, b

It was only late March when the Atheist Blogroll hit 600 blogs, and it is now approaching 700. Think about that for a minute. There are nearly 700 atheist-oriented blogs. Could it be that growing numbers of atheists are no longer content to sit on the sidelines but have something to say about the oppressively religious cultures in which many find ourselves?If we can even begin to organize our our

I imagine you are already familiar with the story of the brave atheist soldier, Spc. Jeremy Hall, and his lawsuit against the Department of Defense for violating his religious freedom by promoting a culture of fundamentalist Christianity. After all, it has been making the rounds on the atheist blogosphere for some time now. I am happy to announce that Spc. Hall is finally going to receive the big media attention he deserves. First, his story was presented in The New York Times, then CNN, and now he will appear during tomorrow's "Sunday Morning" on CBS News.You may recall that Hall started receiving serious threats from his fellow soldiers soon after his lawsuit was announced and that recent reports suggest that this continues. Perhaps shining the media spotlight on this case will finally b

Meet Jeremy Hall. He is a soldier in the U.S. Army, who has served our country in this pointless war in Iraq. Although Hall was raised a Protestant, one day, he began to do what some of us would call growing up and began to question if there really was a God.For that, Jeremy Hall was harassed, being called immoral, a devil worshipper, and gay. You know, like Jesus would. He was also threatened by a superior officer for attempting to organize a meeting of atheists in Iraq and was also followed menacingly by other officers.Somehow, after hearing about this, there will still be many of the vast Christian majority in this country who will always be willing to play the victim card. According to many Christians, they are the most oppressed group in this country, mostly because some rational peo

Found at Ex-Christian.net - Not guy bustingly funny, but it's aint-christian humour, which we like at this blog:In this short video, the American sketch comedy television program, MADtv, parodies the American television series, Touched by and Angel. George Carlin even takes the Pope to heaven.

Maher has to apologize to Catholics, but will he apologize to all Christians?Bill Keller, LivePrayer.comI am actually amazed that his bosses at HBO have forced Christian-hater Bill Maher to apolgize for calling Pope Benedict XVI a "Nazi" and "the leader of a pedophile cult," and making other disparaging remarks about Catholics on his weekly HBO program. While I am glad to see Maher forced to apolgize for his remarks about the Pope, I have no expectation that he will be apologizing to all Christians for decades of hate filled rhetoric targeting God's Word, our Lord, and those who have put their faith in Him.Friday night on his HBO program, Maher issued his "apology." What a joke. In true Maher fashion, it was simply another opportunity for him to state his hatred for the Christian faith i

If individuals have not had a chance to view the short debate between Atheist Richard Dawkins and Christian Bill O'Reilly between belief or simple dis-belief they can view it here. There are some interesting conclusions one can draw from the short discussion these two individuals had.

I used to think that services like Digg and Reddit would be very helpful in boosting blog traffic and reaching a wider audience. I continue to utilize them but do so with somewhat less enthusiasm. Frankly, their impact on my traffic and readership has been minimal (primarily because most of what I write gets no love there). Naturally, I was a bit skeptical when I ran across a new service, The Atheist Spot, that seems to be similar to Digg and Reddit but entirely focused on atheism.Now that I have been playing around with The Atheist Spot for a bit, I think it has real potential. Much like Digg and Reddit, users can submit their own content or that of someone else they find particularly inspiring. The community of users can vote up or down each contribution and view the top rated contributi

I opened up my email today and received an invite to Social Spark, from the Izea, the people that brought you Bloggers Choice Awards. You can find my account here. If you are a fellow atheist and own a blog, I would encourage you to give this new service a try. It promotes a Stumble [...]

I have posted previously about Spc. Jeremy Hall, the brave atheist soldier who is suing Maj. Freddy Welborn and Secretary of Defense Gates for violating his religious freedom (see Army Violates Religious Freedom and Foxhole Atheists Stand Up For Religious Freedom). Hall started receiving serious threats, including those involving "fragging," shortly after the lawsuit was announced. Reports are now emerging that Hall's situation has not improved.Hall, currently stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, continues to receive threats over the lawsuit he brought to stop the religious discrimination he was facing in the Army.Hall says he faces the animosity because he is an atheist and is suing the Department of Defense. He alleges it permits a culture that pushes fundamentalist Christianity.He says he d

If it weren’t for a blogger over on the Chicago Tribune it’s highly likely that many of us would have never heard of Monique Davis’ anti-atheist tirade. Since that time only one non-theist organization appears to have said anything and that was the Council for Secular Humanism which issued a press release calling for [...]

Hooray, somebody finally wrote in to ask me for advice! I would have answered this sooner, but my PC frickin’ ate my thousand-word response. Spurred on by the promise of a love letter (yay!), I finally got my lazy ass around to writing a new one. Feel free to give your own input to help Luke [...]

Monique Davis has apologized citing that she was upset and was, according to another Illinois representative, having a “bad day”. Well, I’m having a bad day myself. I’m catching a cold or something and I’m pretty sure I’ve managed to break one of my toes. My five year old is home sick and is doing [...]

Keith Olbermann’s worst person last night was none other than Rep. Monique Davis of Illinois for her anti-atheist tirade in which she stated that it was “dangerous for children” to even know of the existence of atheism and ended with ordering the target of her tirade, an atheist, out of the witness chair he was [...]

Audio via Change of Subject:Above is audio from an Illinois General Assembly testimony from Rob Sherman when Democratic Rep. Monique Davis verbally attacked him for his religious views. Here is the transcript of the most heated part of the exchange:Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy -- it’s tragic -- when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school. I don’t see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know?I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where pe

Here’s something to chew on. An atheist man has sued his Catholic ex-wife. At issue is the school their 14 year old son will attend. Mom and the son have chosen a Catholic school, but Dad wants him to attend a public school: As a practicing Catholic whose eighth-grade son, Michael, has always [...]

Did you hear about the state legislator who last week blasted a Lutheran minister during a committee hearing for spewing dangerous religious superstitions, and then attempted to order the minister out of the witness chair on the grounds that his Christian beliefs are "destroying what this state was built upon?"Of course you didn't, because it didn't happen and would never happen. Not to a Christian, not to a Jew, not to a Muslim or to anyone who subscribes to any faith.Such an attack would rightly be considered scandalously out of bounds in contemporary society.But you probably also didn't hear about what actually did happen:Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Commi

Here’s some statistics about atheists to brighten your day: addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fbligbi.com%2F2008%2F04%2F05%2Fyoutube-atheist-statistics-2008%2F'; addthis_title = 'YouTube+-+Atheist+Statistics+2008'; addthis_pub = '';

So you want to create an atheist blog, do you? You would love to have your own but are not sure what you can add to the already more than 600 out there. Moreover, you are reluctant to commit to writing frequent posts because you worry that you will not have enough topic ideas. Have I got an idea for you!Create a blog dedicated to one and only one thing: posting each and every case of a Christian seeing "holy" figures in inanimate objects (like this or this).You would not have to post frequently, and your initial time investment would be limited to setting up an RSS feed reader to track as many news sources as possible. Best of all, all the rest of us would come to rely on you as the one who would break the news about the next ridiculous Jesus sighting.Give me credit for the idea, and I'll

Words like "courageous" or "brave" are overused in American society to the point where their meaning has eroded. To my mind, these terms should be reserved for persons who have demonstrated strength in undertaking or persevering through great danger, fear, or challenge. Implied in this definition is the idea that someone has something to risk and is willing to risk it. Courage and bravery are not supposed to be easy or routine. And yet, these labels can meaningfully be applied to many atheists who do indeed stand their ground in the face of great personal risk.In one way, atheism is a courageous position in that we know the degree to which the public despises us. However, it is also quite easy to conceal one's lack of religious belief to fit in or avoid conflict when desired. The atheist w

AMERICA NEEDS A PRIVATE CHARITY FUND FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTSThis is why you MUST send your kids to private schoolJimmy Z - Once again, the left exhibits the exact opposite of their self-described 'open minds.' There ought to be a fund for Christian parents who can't afford private school, but they know their kids are suffering the godless ranting of leftwing scumbag teachers who are not only offended by any profession of faith, but who will give students a zero if they dare to incorporate their faith in class.Now is the time for Christian parents to encourage their kids to stand up for what they believe, and then sue the living crap out of the schools. If they think they have no money now, wait until the Christians sue these deplorable public schools into submission.And the teachers themselv

Today is April 1st, which thanks to loving kindness of the Right Reverend Ray has been deemed National Atheist Day. I suppose I should be upset as I am one of the dreaded new atheists, but puh-lease! Ray & his sidekick Kirk think a Chiquita banana is evidence of their space daddy’s [...]

 Starting off chapter two, which is entitled “Defining Science,” is a brief description of the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, unknown to most, but a troupe of traveling masochists (or so it seems) who represent his caricature of science. These little side stories can have more of an effect than the reader understands, though. Right off the bat, science is seen as either freakish or trivial due to the association with that particular experience of his. Because of this, I find it necessary to give you the actual definition of “science”:  1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws 2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation a

According to Mojoey at Deep Thoughts, the Atheist Blogroll has reached 600 members. This means that we are continuing to see explosive growth in the number of atheist blogs. Clearly, there are many of us with something to say. Thanks to Mojoey for maintaining this excellent blogroll, and congratulations to #600, NYC-Atheists Blog.Tags: atheist, blogs, blogroll, The Atheist Blogroll

Here is a fine letter in today's Johnson City Press about evolution. Rationalize for yourself Let me start by saying I am an atheist. I am writing in response to all those who have written in to the Johnson City Press recently touting creation over science. I believe that the science of evolution offers me more of an explanation of how we came into existence than creationism. To think that humans have only been around for only 10,000 years is absurd. It has been scientifically proven that we have been around much longer. I have never met a so-called Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu or any other religious person that can prove to me that some imagined holy spirit created us. Most reference their religious books and can’t prove scientifically that some sort of god ever existed. Us

I read this article in the SMH on saturday. A good article with some clear logic and an interesting challenge to right wing complainers and the anti-religious. You can find the original article here but I’ve pasted the article by Lisa Pryor below just in case the link fails.

Sometimes they allow a Christian post into Ex-Christian.net to feed the lions... I summarised some responses:I want you to know that just because you dont believe in God, doesnt mean he's not there. God loves you. Romans 5:8 says God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us. God has a love and a grace that is beyond human understanding. I am a christian obviously and I believe that Jesus Christ will be coming again and that He will take His people, the believers, with Him. I pray that you and the people who dont believe in Christ will turn before that day. If you want to ask me some questions or anything email me back. brandon.buck41@yahoo.comBrandon, learn the concept and definition of Stockholm Syndrome. - HappyChef Well let's see. It's been 20

By Eris DiscordiaHi everyone! I have been hanging around this site for quite some time now and I feel like you all are my extended family! It is so nice to be able to voice my anti-Christian opinions, vent my outrage at their insanity and just rant whenever I am overwhelmed with frustration at having my rights continuously violated in this Bible-Hell called the Midwest, USA!Today is one of those days, so here goes...I have four lovely children. Two are happy non-religious adults who barely tolerate their crazy fundie relatives on their father's side of the family. My other two boys are ages 11 and 14. They are happy, well-adjusted atheists who appreciate the idea of being good, honest people just for the sake of being good. They don't have the pressure of having to please some imagina

If you are an atheist attending college, you should know about the Secular Student Alliance (SSA). In fact, they may already have a group on your campus (check the directory). If not, they provide a wealth of useful information for starting a group yourself.According to the SSA website,The mission of the Secular Student Alliance is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics.The site provides a directory of campus SSA groups, information about scholarships available to secular students, and much more. Think of it as a one-stop resource center for college students interested in supporting the secular movement.Tags: Secular Student Alliance, secular, atheist,

London • Freedom from religion in Britain is becoming as important as freedom of religion, according to a United Nations investigation into religion in the UK.In a 23-page report published yesterday, a UN rapporteur claims the 2001 Census findings that nearly 72 per cent of the population is Christian can no longer be regarded as accurate. The report claims that two-thirds of British people now do not admit to any religious adherence.The report also calls for the disestablishment of the Church of England. The role and privileges of the established Church are challenged because they do not reflect "the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations."The report also warns that measures to combat terrorism in Britain could be undermined becaus

I’ve been an “out” atheist since I was a teenager when I was put on the spot about the truthfulness of the Bible. Having grown up in the backwater areas of the United States the only other atheists I knew were my brothers and my dad. I was in my early twenties and [...]

Sometimes, I admit, I lose faith.I lose faith in goodness. I lose faith in humanity. I lose faith in God.Sometimes, maybe, you do too.As many of you know, I love discussing the exploration of space. To gain a perspective of where you are in the universe right now, just try watching the "zoom out" introduction to Contact.But once you get beyond our current galaxy, you tend to disappear.You're lost

Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest approached them. He said to them, 'I don't believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you're wasting your time!

Lately, I've been realizing that, despite what I had come to believe, religion is not the biggest danger to society. Poor thinking is. Adherence to mindless dogmatism is. The self-serving desire to fit everybody into a mold, likely similar to your own, is. These traits are unfortunately not limited to theists.   Obviously, being a member of the Rational Response Squad puts me in a position to be critiqued and vilified by the people who possess the aforementioned character flaws, and recently I've been seeing it almost constantly. It literally pains me to see that so many who have managed to escape religion still cling to so many other similarly irrational ideas and use such blatantly poor logic-particularly if it involves us. Have we done some controversial things? Sure. Are

                                                  Lets go back in time to December of 2002, and we will return to the Part 3 of my original blog entry for December 25, 2006. The story of a Catholic Teenager turned Atheist - finale Silence, Reverence, & Peace… The hallmarks of a Church. I just wish that the new age understood this before they had decided to take their previously unexpressed teenage angst and inflict it upon the Church and Christianity. I lived and still live amongst Christians. I understand Christianity much better than most of the true believers out there. After spending 12 years in bible classes, many years of church every single day (when I lived in Bahrain) & rest of the years, I visited church only

In keeping with the ecumenical philosophy of Asymmetric, I'd like to wish all of my atheist brothers and sisters a Happy Solstice. In praise of atheism: 1. One of the most important observations in my life is that, in everything from football to ideology in this case, competition makes people better. Just like atheists may behave better to avoid the charge that they're God-less hedonists, I'm conscious that I represent my religion to non-Catholics. 2. Many atheist criticisms of religion are valid. 3. If one were to base judgments of people on behavior instead of ideology, of course there are moral, according to the traditional Christian concept, atheists. 4. Atheism is a perfectly reasonable philosophy: If one were to assume that there only exists the physical, then there is no God. I'm not up on the latest science, but as to how the universe came about itself, I'm sure there's some sensible non-theistic explanation. After the original creation, atheistic explanations of

If you are in the emerging circles, this is old news. If not, maybe you know that David Wilcox recorded an adaptation of Brian McLaren’s song “Atheist”. And I think it is a pretty good rendition [I like it better]. Here is Wilcox’s version.

Steve Paulson of Salon held a great interview with John Haught of Theology professor at Georgetown University on the new atheism. Two questions popped out in my mind in relation to the overall interview: Your forthcoming book, “God and the New Atheism,” is a critique of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris. You claim that they are pale imitations of great atheists like Nietzsche, Camus and Sartre. What are they missing? My chief objection to the new atheists is that they are almost completely ignorant of what’s going on in the world of theology. They talk about the most fundamentalist and extremist versions of faith, and they hold these up as though they’re the normative, central core of faith. And they miss so many things. They miss the moral core of Judaism and Christianity — the theme of social justice, which takes those who are marginalized and brings them to the center of society. They give us an extreme caricature of faith and religio

There is an informative review of Michel Onfray's Atheist Manifesto at the Midwest Populist Party website. This sounds like another one I'll have to pick up. So many books and so little time!Tags: Michel Onfray, atheist, book review

Now you can vote for your favorite atheist. Thanks to reader, sungazer, for e-mailing this tip. I'm having a hard time deciding. Bertrand Russell had the greatest impact on my own atheism, but Lemmy is...well...Lemmy!Tags: atheist, Bertrand Russell, Lemmy

A new book by Christopher Hitchens, The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever, is getting some good press and looks like it might be a good one for that holiday wish list. I think I'll pick this one up the next time I put in an Amazon.com order.Tags: Christopher Hitchens, atheist, atheism, book, entertainment, secular

You may recall the disturbing story of SPC Jeremy Hall, an atheist soldier serving in Iraq who is now suing the Pentagon due to the anti-atheist discrimination he faced there. He was actually threatened with "fragging" (a "friendly fire" murder) after word of his suit became public. If you have not heard Hall's story in his own words, you should do so. Freethought Radio interviewed Hall in November, and the interview can be heard here.H/T to Atheist Media BlogTags: Jeremy Hall, Iraq, military, atheists in foxholes, atheist, atheism, soldier, discrimination, law, interview, Pentagon, Freethought Radio

There are many reasons to be against homosexuality that are not Bible related.Homosexuals have a higher STD rate than straight people.Homosexuals engage in reverse gender roles and are therefore mentally unstable (because there is no mutated Gay gene in our DNA that says homosexuality is normal).Homosexuals make up the vast majority of paedophiles.Homosexuals are actively militant in their views and literally try to force people (either by protest or arrest) to accept their degenerate lifestyles.Homosexuals do not contribute anything positive to the world's genetic pooling. Homosexuals actively recruit children into organizations such as NAMBLA. Homosexuals are usually radical leftists, Liberals, socialists, communists or Marxists. Homosexuals are more likely to commit suicide than anyone (even crazy postal workers, pissed off spouses and depressed teens).I could go on all day about it.Have you ever thought that if it wasn't a genetic defect (which it isn't), it is social brainwash

Seems like I just posted about the secular "Tree of Knowledge" in Philadelphia, doesn't it? It appears that a similar holiday display has been set up in Connecticut. A sign sponsored by Connecticut Valley Atheists asking passersby to "Imagine No Religion" is causing controversy and drawing attention to the high cost of religion. I applaud the group for their willingness to express an unpopular opinion and put the good of humanity over their own safety.The sign went up on December 1st alongside a Christmas tree which stands across from the town hall. The townspeople responded by putting up an even bigger Christmas tree even closer to the atheists' sign. While they denied any intent to conceal the sign, I find this rather difficult to believe.According to Dennis P. Himes, coordinator for Connecticut Valley Atheists, it would have been preferable to have no religious displays on public property whatsoever. However, since this was not an option, the sign provided by his group seems to be

Faced with religious Christmas displays in public, the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia asking to have the displays removed. Their efforts failed, so they decided to do the next best thing - insist that they be allowed to add their own holiday display. Could this be a strategy for secular groups across America to emulate?I think this is a great idea. If their request is granted, the courthouse in West Chester, PA, will show their "tree of knowledge" along with a Christmas tree, Nativity scene, and Menorah. According to this editorial by Tony Phyrillas,The group's display is entitled "The Tree of Knowledge" and it will feature a 15-foot evergreen with color copies of book covers as "ornaments." Some of the book covers will include the Bible, the Quran, "Ethics Without God," "Why I Am Not a Christian," and "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism."Something tells me we haven't heard the end of this one.Tags: church and state, Christmas, atheist, Pennsylvania, freethou

Christians do not like it when atheism receives attention in the mainstream media. After all, this might lead people to learn what atheism is and to discover that religious delusion is not a necessary condition. So when news of atheist Sunday schools broke, it would just be a matter of time until Christians felt it necessary to respond.Writing for Baptist Press, R. Albert Mohler Jr. summarized the Time article before providing his undeniably Christian perspective on the matter. Mohler's brief reaction offers two points. First, atheist Sunday schools are doomed to fail because children are too gullible not to believe in his god.My guess is that these atheist Sunday Schools will not be as successful as these parents hope. "I'm Unique and Unrepeatable" just can't really compete with "Jesus Loves Me." Children have not yet developed cynicism and, in general, are quite eager to believe in God. Children taught from the Bible in Sunday School learn that they were made by a loving God who c

When I encounter bigotry, I feel obliged to speak out. I feel this way not just in the case of anti-atheist bigotry but also in cases of racism, gay bashing, sexism, and the like. I suppose it is the realization that by remaining silent, I am implicitly condoning the behavior that motivates me to speak out. Still, I'm not always sure how best to respond in these situations. This recently started me thinking about the way the secular community should respond to bigotry directed at us.When confronted with anti-atheist bigotry, what is the atheist to do? Since I have rejected silence as an option, this leaves me with the need to respond, but what sort of response is optimal?I realize that what I am about to say is a gross oversimplification and that the choice of how to respond will depend greatly on the specifics of the situation, but I believe this may provide a tentative starting point. It seems to me that responses can be primarily offensive or defensive in nature. An offensive respo

When I started Atheist Revolution in February of 2005, it never occurred to me that I might still be at it more than two years later or that I would ever even come close to celebrating this milestone, the 1,000th post. Now that I'm here, my commitment to continuing this blog has never been stronger. In fact, I expect I'll manage another thousand posts.If there was ever a good time to be an atheist in America, that time is now. Despite some of my past grumbles about how few of the ideas being expressed under the "new atheism" banner are truly new, it is undeniable that there is something new in the air. The resurgence of interest in atheism is being accompanied by an invigorating sort of energy that is different from anything I've experienced previously.Nonbelievers are becoming more vocal and less willing to overlook Christian privilege. We are learning more about the philosophical underpinnings of atheism and the unacceptably high cost of religion on our modern world. We are beginn

Atheists living in the American South do not have many opportunities to attend rallies, engage in atheist activism, or show support for their fellow southern atheists. A religion vs. atheism debate will be held in Dothan, Alabama in the Dothan Opera House on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Admission is free, and Alabama atheists are hoping to get the word out to encourage area atheists to attend.Here is the full announcement I received yesterday via e-mail:Atheists - We Need Your HelpAtlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Pensacola and everywhere in between...A religion vs. atheism debate will be held in the Dothan Opera House on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, in Dothan, Alabama. A special questions and answers session with audience members will take place during the final 30 minutes of the debate. Admission is free.The debate will be between Dr. Robert Carter, a lecturer with Creation Ministries, and Rick Pierson, a local athei

Good news atheist parents - now you don't have to be Christian to have your children tortured on Sunday mornings! Okay, maybe I was the only one who despised Sunday school. But are atheist parents really clamoring for a secular version of Sunday school for their children? Evidently, some are.This article in Time describes an atheist Sunday school program held at the Humanist Community Center in Palo Alto, CA. Okay, first things first - I want a humanist community center! Shrill whining out of the way, just what goes on at atheist Sunday school?The children learn about secular values and how to deal with the god-delusional majority, receive support for their disbelief, have their secular values reinforced, and gain a sense of community from spending time with like-minded people. Intellectual curiosity and critical thinking are fostered.It sounds like this could be the beginning of a trend which might spread to other communities.The pioneering Palo Alto program began three years ago, an

I have a religious friend, Alice, who is working on a chick lit novel for National Novel-Writing Month. We haven’t known each other all that long (we met at an event), but we get along fine even though she knows I’m an atheist. Reading her plot synopsis, however, made my facial muscles twitch a little bit: [...]

Sent in by Eris DiscordiaWhat I find interesting and a little disturbing is the fact that so many people feel it is necessary to pry into my personal belief system! When I finally broke free of the bonds of my prison religion I was made to feel uncomfortable by old friends and relatives, and even people I meet in the coffee shop who insisted on quizzing me as to how I spend my Sunday mornings! "Wh

According to Reed Branden, author of the Unorthodox Atheism blog, he received a fairly insulting e-mail from a prominent local pastor in his community. Evidently, this pastor does not see anything wrong with harassing local teenage atheists, especially if they also happen to be gay.From Reed's post:Tonight, a local pastor sent me an email saying, among other things, "I read enough of your blog to figure out that you are a queer athiest[sic] who lives with his CHristian[sic] parents. You should listen to your parents and go to church and maybe they wouldn't be so disappointed in you."Reed noted how the author of this e-mail, the head pastor of a large church in his community, appears to think that his parents must be disappointed in him for being a gay atheist and that more church will somehow fix him. He also mentions that the e-mail goes on to say that his parents are "probably disappointed in themselves for raising a kid like [me]." The pastor also advised Reed to move away from hi

He was “almost Catholic” and now is “almost Atheist”. I posted his original videos on my old blog looking for help answering his questions. So, everyone out there please pray for this young man on a quest. Well, here we go. This is a very basic explanation of my new belief system that I touched [...]

Take the test: My results: Angry Atheist –>   83% Militant Atheist –>   83% Agnostic –>   75% Scientific Atheist –>   75% Spiritual Atheist –>   58% Apathetic Atheist –>   50% Theist –>   0% http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=34703N I guess I am angrier than I thought. Related PostsOrigins of Man; QuranIt is the goal of this site to engage our audience in discussion and debate about all beliefs and re...Atheist and Christian SpousesCan it ever be? This post is not so informative as it is a simple question. It is a question that...Smith’s Wager, A Counter to PascalThe following is an excerpt from a speech given by George Smith before the Society of Separationists...In the Beginning: Part 2In the Beginning…

Welcome aboard. When Professor Antony Flew, the world's most famous "philosophical atheist", announced in 2004 that he had changed his mind, it caused something of a theological earthquake. The aftershocks were amplified because it was further reported that he was persuaded by intelligent design. => Read more!

Looking for a gift for that special atheist in your life who probably thinks that celebrating an ancient pagan holiday corrupted by Christians to honor the birth of someone who may or may not have actually lived is just a bit silly? How about a gift that can be used all year round to bring some sanity to a world filled with religious delusion? How about an atheism quotes calendar? A reader, who happens to be a designer, put this together and thought you might be interested. Looks pretty cool if you ask me.Tags: gift ideas, atheist, atheism, atheist wall calendar, atheist quotes calendar, Christmas, holiday

Please read this article. An Atheist nurse writes about her experiences with Christian families in a Children’s Hospice, speaking firsthand about the negative, real-world effects of prayer. Instead of helping their children work on their to-do lists in the short time they have left, the parents and family stand around, talking to themselves. A moving account. Related PostsAtheist and Christian SpousesCan it ever be? This post is not so informative as it is a simple question. It is a question that...An Atheist Homeschooler"You are a homeschooler? And an atheist???" I have heard this question several times in the last 1.5...Call Me What You WantAccording to Merriam-Webster, the word "militant" is defined as the following: Engaged in warfar...Things YOU Can Do To Get Rid of “Porch Ministers” FastChildren and “God”

SPREADING THE BAD NEWS OF FAITH IN NOTHINGBill Keller's devotional expose on "The Golden Compass," a film based on an atheist trilogy written for childrenThe assault on the Christian faith continues in earnest, while some are fighting back! There is a new movie hitting theaters worldwide the first week of December to cash in on the Christmas season. This is a wonderful movie geared to teach children there is no God and to indoctrinate them from their earliest years to become atheists. The movie called "The Golden Compass" is a movie adaptation of a book series by the atheist and a bold and brazen hater of the Christian faith, Philip Pullman. The Golden Compass is the first in a fantasy trilogy of books entitled "His Darkest Materials." Pullman's books are designed to spread his atheistic beliefs to children, and the hero of his story actually kills "god."The movie version of Pullman's book intentionally left out the Godless themes. Many feel this was not only done to make the m

Dear Readers: I have had continued correspondence with Mr. Hallows, of crazychristianblog who in my previous post, I erroneously classified as an atheist. He has informed me that he is somewhat a Deist, somewhat an agnostic. (I do not endorse his site, but I felt that in all fairness, I would include his link, for those that wish to know more of what this man's beliefs are. I warn you that the site is full of insult to Christianity, Christ followers, and swearing. Visit with caution, and prayer.) However, the fact remains that he does not believe in God, as I do, and so am continuing to share our correspondence. I welcome your comments, and would like to ask your continued prayers upon him. Remember that despite what he may think of us, God loves him, and so should we.First, his email to me, and then my response.Subject: Responce To Your 2 EmailsThank you for your response. First of all let me point out a few things. I was in fact raised as a Christian, my mother is of Catholic

I received this by email today, and would like to request your prayers over this man. I am sharing his email to me, and my response, and would welcome your comments and suggestions. Blessings to you.Subject: Response To A Comment You Made At crazychistianblogHello, You left a comment on my blog and I would like to give you the full chance to explain your reason for your believe in Christianity. I am by a long shot completely dumbfounded why anybody would take up a religion such a Christianity, a religion that was founded 300 years after the events that shaped it and it ultimately nothing more Judaism 2.0. I can tell that you are very much a devout woman but I am yet to get a satisfying answer to one question. Why are you a Christian? At what point did you decided Christianity was a religion for you. Are you a Christian because your family is, or is it because your husband is, or because this is a country run and governed by Christians. What, besides a dusty old book actually makes you,

Of the many things I appreciate about the Internet, one near the top of the list is the ease of obtaining international news. Mainstream American media outlets do a terrible job of covering what is happening in the world, preferring instead to regale us with pointless "news" of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton. I am particularly interested in reading about how America is perceived from the perspective of other countries. A story on BBC News recently caught my interest. It appears that they've noticed our "atheist moment."Tim Egan's article notes that America, "one of the most religious countries in the West," is experiencing a surge of doubt.It may be daring to say it but America seems to be experiencing an atheist moment. Although "In God We Trust" was declared the national motto by an act of Congress more than 50 years ago and has been stamped on the currency for longer than that, some considerable doubt has developed of late.That the United States is experiencing re

When I first started to self-identify as an atheist, I held several positions that I have since rejected. An example of one of these was the notion that science answers “how” questions and religion answers “why” questions. Although I was unaware of him at the time, I would have agreed with Gould’s non-overlapping magisterium. Now I don’t. I don’t actually believe religion has anything worthwhile to say on anything. Religion never shied away from making bold claims about the world when it was talking to an ignorant unscientific audience. If religion doesn’t overlap with science today it is only because the religious are rightly afraid to compete with science; a battle they have historically always lost. Some fundamentalists aren’t happy to remain on their side of the playground however; they actively undermine legitimate science and try to have their view of reality supersede any other. Finally, religion makes numerous claims that are incompatible with scientif

Atheist Alliance International (AAI), a large umbrella organization composed of various freethought groups around the world has proposed a new atheist symbol. Six options were selected by committee, and attendees of the 2007 conference voted for their favorite. This is the winning symbol, and AAI intends it to serve as an international symbol of freethought. For more on the symbol and a variety of image files using it, see here. What do you think?Tags: Atheist Alliance International, atheist, atheism, atheist symbol, freethought

I just love the way that this “Christian” bashes atheism! Wow, such language! Just listen to the hatred and bigotry as it drips from his mouth. (Be sure to watch the facial expressions too. VERY telltale.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mafTGZh8QE0 Related PostsAtheist and Christian SpousesCan it ever be? This post is not so informative as it is a simple question. It is a question that...Atheist ToolboxThe Jesus Myth is proud to announce that we have joined forces with Atheist Toolbox. They will be he...Atheist’s Murderer Sentencedhttp://vassleer.newsvine.com/_news/2007/01/03/504714-murdered-for-being-an-atheist Some of you ma...“He’s an Atheist you know…”Think about it… or get irrational?

Approximately 2,000 elementary school children in Madison, WI, brought home religious fliers distributed at their public schools. The fliers encouraged families to "Plant the Seeds of Faith in Jesus in Your Child at our Sunday school." Not surprisingly, the atheist blogosphere is buzzing about this one, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation is asking the Madison School District to prevent future distribution of religious fliers in public schools. This is certainly an understandable response, but there might be a better option.Superintendent Art Rainwater defended the district's policy of allowing organizations to send a variety of fliers home with students. It sounds like the idea is to let just about anything to be sent home with the children, avoiding the appearance of religious privilege. This sounds fine except for two things.First, the distribution of religious material in public schools is probably not something most of us want to encourage. Second, there is a sort of review

I’m following on from a good idea started by Migrations, which has been carried on by Why Don’t You Blog among others, I’m posting the entire Atheist Blogroll (Mojoey’s highly successful project). I agree with them that this is a good way to increase everyone’s Technorati and search engine authority.   1 2 3 Religious Comics 2 Intellectual Atheists A Daily Dose of Doubt A Human Mind A Load of Bright A Night on the Tiles A Veritable Plethora A Whore in the Temple of Reason A-Deistic AA Aardvarchaeology AASAUF About: Agnosticism / Atheism Abstract Nonsense Aces Full of Links acrylic. Action Skeptics AEsahaettr After Faith Agnostic Atheism aidan maconachy blog Ain’t Christian Al-Kafir Akbar! Alien Atheist Am I mad, or is the world? Amused Muse An Atheist Homeschooler An Enlightened Observer Angels Depart Angry Astronomer Arcis Logos Ateistbloggen Atheism and Coffee Atheism is the Rational Response Atheism Online atheism | simra.net Atheism: Proving The Negative Athei

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/224/story_22426_1.htmlInterview with Hemant Mehta - the "friendly atheist" who last year auctioned himself off on eBay to a Protestant minister. He's also the author of I Sold My Soul on eBay. Technorati tags: atheist • Hemant Mehta

The Friendly Atheist brings us a troubling story of a Christian hate crime in the Chicago suburbs. Rob Sherman, atheist activist and father of a high school student who successfully campaigned to remove "God Bless America" from the list of songs to be played at her Homecoming Dance (yeah, that's a great one for dancing), is the victim.Sherman's home was vandalized with a thorough egging of both the house and the family's automobiles. But why in the world would I allege a Christian hate crime when this could have been the work of those always pesky teenagers? Because crosses and religious words were written in chalk on the driveway, and a church bulletin was stuck in the front door.The police are convinced that angry teens are the culprits rather than some local Christian terrorist organization. Their evidence? The vandalism closely followed the incident at Sherman's daughter's school, and "Jesus" was misspelled. They may have a point about the proximity of the vandalism to the sch