Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I was a Catholic, but when I made my confirmation last year I was already an atheist. That felt extremely wrong to me; the other teenagers that were making theirs believed and it was a big deal to them, but to me it was just silly. I begged my parents to not make me but it wasn’t up for discussion. I made it anyways and then my family… Read more
There is a wonderful article in Monday’s New York Times by Michael Winerip in which he profiles a high school atheist group. It’s rare to see a group like that discussed in print, and probably rarer to see it in a positive light, but that’s what you have here: Club members discussed what to do about Faith Week. Rutherford High’s two Christian clubs will be sponsoring a series of before-school prayer circles around the flagpole this week, and several of… Read more
I’m told that the sidewalks at Illinois State University are home to several chalk ads for a “campuswide worship event” taking place soon… Someone wrote this message nearby one of those ads: I love that there’s a response… though I’m not sure this is the most effective one. What would you have written instead? (Thanks to Summer for the pic!) Read more
This was supposed to be the weekend when Richard Dawkins, Dan Barker, Margaret Downey, Baba Brinkman, and a handful of other atheists (including myself) were supposed to speak at Rock Beyond Belief, a concert supporting atheists in the military, taking place at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. That effort was stopped when Fort Bragg officials restricted the event to a smaller venue and offered no financial support — as opposed to the larger venue with ample financial support that was… Read more
Seen in Iowa (click to enlarge): Alright, go ahead and make comments on how ugly you think the billboards are. (Forget the fact that it’s pretty damn incredible to see even one billboard reaching out to closeted atheists, much less two of them at once.) By the way, it’s not too late to register for the American Atheists convention in Des Moines taking place April 21th-24th. (via Dave Silverman — I paraphrased one of the commenters for the title of… Read more
When it was time for reader Ramon to choose his new license plate, he wanted to express his belief system as well as his Hispanic heritage, so he went with “ATEO,” Spanish for “male atheist”: (Ramon’s a fan of Superman, too 🙂 ) If you’re thinking no one will understand it, keep in mind he lives in Houston, where there’s a sizable Spanish-speaking population. The fee for that plate, by the way, is $30/year. Ramon opted for the design that… Read more
It’s always nice to hear secular wedding vows — a way for a couple to show their love for each other without bringing a god into the mix. Reader Chris recently performed a wedding between an atheist and a “spiritual Buddhist.” He adapted the text for it from a Buddhist ceremony (courtesy of John Karuna Cayton) and wanted to share it with all of you in case you’re looking for some inspiration for your own service. (For what it’s worth, it… Read more
To any Secular Student Alliance affiliate group out there, our Speakers Bureau now includes Adam Lee, blogger at Daylight Atheism! Adam’s been writing about atheism issues for years and he’d be a great person to bring to your campus. If you’re interested in bringing Adam — or anyone else in our roster — to your school, all the instructions are here. Adam and I share a special bond: Republican Elizabeth Dole cited our websites in a smear campaign against her… Read more
There are many reasons why Richard Dawkins and several other prominent atheists refuse to participate in debates against Creationists. It gives the other side equal footing and a legitimacy they don’t deserve. The other side often celebrates the debate’s occurrence — arguments be damned; the fact that the debate happened at all means there’s a debate to be had! Not all atheists shy away from debates — Dan Barker and Christopher Hitchens do them on a regular basis — but… Read more
Every year on April 1st, the James Randi Educational Foundation announces the recipients of the Pigasus Awards. They go to psychics, pseudo-scientists, faith healers, and the like — and the people who enable them. Among the “winners” this year: NASA Engineer Richard B. Hoover, who recently announced for the third time in 14 years that he had found evidence of microscopic life in meteorites CVS/pharmacy, for their work to support the manufacturers of scam “homeopathic” medications who sell up to… Read more
