At the American Atheists convention, there were more women (at least ratio-wise) than I’ve seen at just about any other atheist/skeptic event. It was nice to have them there, but this convention, like all others, was short-lived. It raises the question of why there are relatively few women in the secular movement. Why is it when I got to any atheist gathering (a convention, a local group, or a campus group), there are an overwhelming number of men? It’s a… Read more
(Update: The video is back up and able to be embedded!) Well, my family isn’t this bad. They still get me Christmas presents. (Of course, I’ve gotten only socks from them for several years running now… maybe they’re trying to send a message.) But I don’t think Michael’s mom’s reaction is out of the ordinary for a lot of atheists coming out to their families. Many of us have to deal with this. No wonder so many atheists remain in… Read more
This was the panel discussion question posed at the American Atheists convention. I was on the panel, and my answer was a resounding “Yes.” Of course it matters. If reason and logic were enough to convince people that atheism makes sense, most of the country would have lost their faith by now. Clearly, that’s not the case. There’s much more to the equation, and I believe the rest of it– the bulk of it– falls in the realm of good… Read more
Blog carnivals are a way for several people to submit their best blog writing from the past couple weeks and have them compiled by one blog in particular (on a rotating basis). It’s a way of spreading the link love. For a couple years now, there has only been one Carnival specifically for atheists: the Carnival of the Godless (CotG). It’s a wonderful showcase and a great way to give exposure to the panoply of atheist blogs out there. (That’s… Read more
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has announced their 2007 essay competitions. The deadlines aren’t for a while, but you know you’re going to procrastinate, so just get started now. College-bound high school seniors and current college students are invited to enter. High school seniors can write on the following topics: “Why I do not need religion to be moral” (where you “talk about the myth that a god or religion is the ‘source’ of morality or ethics”) or “Why religion… Read more
