The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, explains one of the main reasons religion is harmful We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project — more videos will be posted soon — and we’d also appreciate your suggestions as to which questions we ought to tackle next! Read more
Foundation Beyond Belief just released the results from the Fourth Quarter of 2013. Check out the donations — $124,090 in total given by atheists — to the following organizations: Once again, three organizations received more than $10,000. We also raised $63,000 in response to Typhoon Haiyan for Citizens’ Disaster Response Center and Team Rubicon. Read more
Fellow blogger Bob Seidensticker says that Christian conferences are missing out on a valuable opportunity by not inviting atheist speakers: Read more
Every year, John Brockman asks his braintrust at The Edge a thought-provoking question and compiles their answers. This year’s question has just been released: What scientific idea is ready for retirement? I *loved* Richard Dawkins’ answer: Essentialism. The idea that there’s an “ideal” human and cat and dog. It’s an idea, Dawkins says, that has no scientific basis and that has impeded our understanding of evolution: Read more
Certain Hindu and Buddhist groups in Nepal have a tradition of worshiping pre-pubescent girls, known as Kumari, who are deemed manifestations of the goddess Durga. These girls are selected at ages as young as four — and they’re forced to “retire” by the time they hit puberty. It’s like “Toddlers & Tiaras” minus the pretending. These girls were chosen. For centuries, they didn’t get an education during their reign because, of course, they’re “divine” — a policy that didn’t change until 2008 thanks to a Supreme Court ruling — and they’re catered to for the near-decade they live in their privileged world. By the time their hit their teenage years, they’re like injured college athletes left to fend for themselves because their colleges aren’t paying for scholarships anymore. As of this week, though, they’re going to get a little bit of help. Read more
If you want attend a meeting of the Pinellas Park City Council (in Florida), take a good look at the book resting by the Mayor’s seat atop the dais: It’s a Bible that was gifted to the council by the local Kiwanis Club several years ago — which City Manager Doug Lewis claims makes it a historical artifact instead of an affirmation of any religion: Read more
After President Obama gave a shout-out to “nonbelievers” in his first inaugural address in 2009, atheists have felt a little bit out in the cold with our president. His record on ending discrimination in hiring within faith-based initiatives has been disappointing to nonexistent. His participation in the National Prayer Breakfast events has been galling and frustrating. And in a major Supreme Court case, his decision to side with unconstitutional sectarian prayer at government functions has been enough to make a… Read more
Here’s a tough-but-practical question: If you and your partner are broke, should you get married and have kids? My instinct is to say “If you want” and “No,” in that order. Money isn’t a prerequisite for marriage, but it’s certainly true that fights over money are a common cause for divorce. And if you have a choice, why not hold off on the children until you’re more financially stable? That, to me, at least seems sensible. Pastor Mark Driscoll doesn’t say that. Instead, he uses the question as a starting point to tell the questioner that he’s not really a man and he needs to find another man to teach him how to become a man. Because men. But first, a random creepy comment: Read more
Gold Hill Lutheran Church Pastor Tim Christensen decided to play a joke on his congregation last weekend — but he didn’t know it would go this viral: Read more
The Irish Atheist is proposing a deal for proselytizers: I’ll offer you a few hours of my time to minister to me if you’re willing to do the same and let me speak about atheism to members of your youth group (as well as anyone else who wants to respectfully sit in). Read more
