I am a graduate of medicine and theology with a Ph.D in medical ethics. I tutor in medical ethics at the University of Melbourne, am an (occasional) adjunct Lecturer in Ethics at Ridley Melbourne, and a voluntary researcher with Ethos. I am also a Fellow of ISCAST and a past chair of the Melbourne Chapter of Christians for Biblical Equality. I have special interests in professional ethics, sexual ethics and the ethics of virtue.
by Jesse Galef – If I’ve learned anything from blogging, it’s that I’m not writing for myself. Maybe other people treat their blogs as diaries, but I see blogging as a way to communicate my ideas to others. No surprise there; it’s what I do. I’m a communications director at heart, not just for a job. When I see crappy communication causing confusion or controversy, I feel compelled to counter it. (Ok, that alliteration WAS for me.) Case in point:… Read more
by Jesse Galef – This achievement has been years in the making. When the Secular Student Alliance board hired its first full-time campus organizer in 2003, they set a goal: reach 250 affiliated student groups. Well, it happened over the weekend! We’ve been growing rapidly in just the past few years – rapidly enough to go from two full-time staff this time last year to four full-time (myself included) and three part-time employees. But for us to finally reach 250…… Read more
by Jesse Galef — I rarely come across a source of interesting material as dense and extensive as Edge’s World Question Center. I’ve been diving into their 2011 question: “WHAT SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYBODY’S COGNITIVE TOOLKIT?” Go take a look: One hundred sixty four intelligent people answering in quick essay format. Excuse me while I get a paper towel; I’m drooling. I’m still going through them, but here’s a taste from Rebecca Newberger Goldstein’s answer Inference To The Best… Read more
by Jesse Galef — I swear, I thought I was used to the knee-jerk objections to nontheistic ad campaigns. We atheists and humanists come out with some of the most innocuous statements like “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.” and people get upset. Our mere existence as proud nontheists is offensive. I’m used to that — people think atheists are immoral bastards, and I know it’s a misconception we need to fight. Business as usual. But even I… Read more
by Jesse Galef – I’m going to the Freedom From Religion Foundation convention is this weekend! If you can’t join Hemant to go gallivanting off to the Rally to Restore Sanity in DC, come to Madison, WI with me! It should be an awesome time. Look at some of the lineup: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Linda Greenhouse, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Julia Sweeney, and — of course — Dan Barker and Steven Benson. I’m really looking forward to meeting Cenk Uygur,… Read more
