Lauren Nelson is an advocate and aspiring ally focused on intersectional justice. When she's not gabbing on social media or chasing after her precocious seven year old, you'll find her researching and writing extensively on the subjects of politics, policy, culture, neurodiversity, and faith for The Friendly Atheist and Rethink the Rant.
For the past several weeks, videos have circulated painting Planned Parenthood in the most unfavorable light. At first glance, and without knowledge of the processes referenced, these videos make it look like the organization is gleefully profiting from the sale of butchered babies. This misguided conclusion has prompted massive outrage, much to the delight of the Religious Right. As a result, Congress is once more looking to defund Planned Parenthood altogether. Read more
The ongoing American exodus from church pews is not news. It’s been happening for years. Religious leaders know this. They’ve scrambled time and time again to find ways to keep butts in their seats. One of the more amusing tactics has been the surge in “cool” Christianity — communities cultivated to cater to a short attention span and lofty ideals with worship bands, granola pastors, and fancy AV displays. Read more
It’s not unusual for renowned atheist Richard Dawkins to rub people of faith the wrong way. It’s not unheard of for him to get on the bad side of feminists. But it’s not every day that he pisses off the intersection of the two groups. But this week, with a series of tweets, that’s exactly what Dawkins did. Read more
Last night, a lone gunman entered a theater in Lafayette, Louisiana and opened fire, killing two and wounding seven before taking his own life. The setting was different, but the scene very much the same. After all, as this map from Vox of mass shootings in the U.S. since Sandy Hook makes clear, this isn’t exactly a rare occurrence anymore: Read more
Ta-Nehisi Coates is undeniably one of the strongest and most influential voices on racial inequality today. He also is one of the most polarizing. For those who have followed the career of The Atlantic’s Coates — or, indeed, this blog — it’s far from a revelation that he is an atheist. This isn’t news. He’s written at length on his position, both as standalone pieces and social media posts. With the publication of his new book Between the World and Me, though, this element of his identity has once more come to the forefront in a manner worth interrogating. Read more
