Terry Firma, though born and Journalism-school-educated in Europe, has lived in the U.S. for the past 20-odd years. Stateside, his feature articles have been published in the New York Times, Reason, Rolling Stone, Playboy, and Wired. Terry was the founder and Main Mischief Maker of Moral Compass, a now-dormant site that pokes fun at the delusional claim by people of faith that a belief in God equips them with superior moral standards. He was the Editor-in-Chief of two Manhattan-based magazines until he decided to give up commercial publishing for professional photography... with a lot of blogging on the side. These days, he lives in an old seaside farmhouse in Maine with his wife, three kids, and two big dogs.
It should come as no surprise that certain sacred religious practices are remarkably unhygienic. Holy water in church fonts tends to be rife with fecal bacteria. Believers who ritually kiss the same holy stone or other religious artifacts no doubt end up sharing microbes. Millions take ritual baths in filthy lakes and waterways in which human waste and dead bodies float conspicuously on the surface. And closer to home, well, are you sure that Father Murphy washed his hands before pinching a series of eucharists between his fleshy fingers and putting the Jesus crackers, and maybe those digits, on one wet tongue after another? Could habits like these have anything to do with the spread of religiosity itself? Are some microbes essentially carriers and distributors of faith? Read more
In India, according to a local news site, A panel of seven members from various Muslim and Christian organizations came together on Tuesday to condemn the atrocities perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other outfits responsible for creating and supporting them, at a press conference held at Islam gymkhana at Marine Lines. They have so far received 82 signatures from activists and leaders of various communities and professional organizations to support this cause. Read more
If you think that atheism is simply the absence of a belief in gods, Robert P. George reckons he can teach you a thing or two. Literally. George (below), a law professor who is professionally affiliated with Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford universities, just penned a piece for First Things, a publication that bills itself as “America’s Most Influential Journal of Religion and Public Life.” It’s a doozy. You see, George has discovered that there are actually three atheist creeds. Follow along: Read more
Despite what some Christian critics recklessly allege, we’ve never made light of actual religious persecution here on Friendly Atheist. On the contrary. Example one. Example two. Example three. Example four. Example five. Example six. Example seven. Example eight. Example nine. Example ten. But neither do we shy away from calling bullshit on the kind of claimed religious persecution that just isn’t. Usually, Christians in the West who claim they’re being oppressed just tickle my funny bone. Occasionally, they go so far over the line that their plaint about “angry” atheists becomes a self-fulfilling observation. Read more
