This (high-quality!) video from the Reason Rally features philanthropist Todd Stiefel’s speech: My favorite part, talking about what atheists believe (starting at the 5:41 mark): We believe there is no rational basis to discriminate on the basis of race or gender. We believe our sex live are our business, not the government’s. We believe life has the meaning we give it through increasing happiness and decreasing suffering in the world. We believe healthcare is our decision and our doctors’, not… Read more
Dear Richard, I am a divorced mother whose religious ex-husband has custody of my daughter. He chose to send her to a religious high school, which she has attended for 3 years. Recently, she started asking a lot of questions about her religion, which has caused people to suspect she doesn’t believe in God. Her science teacher, who caught wind of this when she didn’t agree with his disparaging comments on evolution, has now started to pick on her, getting… Read more
It’s not an American college town. Apparently, Eastern Germany wins the prize: The statistics are most striking among those under 28 years old: more than 71% of eastern Germans in this age group say they have never believed in the existence of God. That’s nearly as many as in the 38-47 group, of which 72.6% are non-believers. What the figures mean is that in eastern Germany, very young people are on the same wavelength as people from the middle generation… Read more
Marc Barnes at Bad Catholic thinks atheists need to stop using certain arguments… but he misses the point of each argument entirely: 1) Babies are atheists Barnes says that religion is innate! Babies believe in the supernatural from early on! One study showed it! So there! How dare all the atheists equate religious indoctrination with child abuse!? Well, babies don’t believe in god the same way that many adults do… so we’re not actually off base. Still, no atheist ever… Read more
So you’ve wanted to get involved in the movement, but you’re not really sure how, eh? Well, luckily for you, one of the absolute best organizations (not that I’m biased or anything) for atheists and agnostics is hiring RIGHT NOW. That’s right. You could be an atheist and GET PAID FOR IT. Provided you have the necessary skills and experience. The Secular Student Alliance is currently accepting applications for a position as an IT Manager. If you have any experience… Read more
For anyone who listens to NPR’s Fresh Air, you’ll love this short film by Mike Birbiglia 🙂 Read more
When Mitt Romney gave the commencement address at Liberty University, he made a not-totally-evil reference to people without religious faith: Someone once observed that the great drama of Christianity is not a crowd shot, following the movements of collectives or even nations. The drama is always personal, individual, unfolding in one’s own life. We’re not alone in sensing this. Men and women of every faith, and good people with none at all, sincerely strive to do right and lead a… Read more
Ex-pastor Jerry DeWitt, the first graduate of the Clergy Project, is working through that transition period between making a living (and lying) behind the pulpit and finding work outside of the church world. The Kansas City Atheist Coalition is chipping in to help him out and they’ve already raised a significant amount, but you can chip in here if you find it worthwhile (and I hope you do): Read more
Tony Perkins, the head Christian at the Family Research Council, made news this week when he appeared on Piers Morgan’s show and said this incredibly stupid thing: Morgan: You have five kids, right? Perkins: Yes, I do. Morgan: What would you do if one of them came home and said, dad, I’m gay? Perkins: Well, we would have a conversation about it. I doubt that would happen with my children, as we are teaching them the right ways that they… Read more
