After all the buildup and preparation that had to happen to have a day-long festival to celebrate military atheists at Fort Bragg in North Carolina… after Richard Dawkins agreed to headline the event… after a similar (larger) event for Christians was approved by military officials… after all that, there’s a chance the event may not happen after all. First, you need some background: For the Christian “Rock the Fort” event cosponsored by Fort Bragg’s Religious Support Offive and the Billy… Read more
Well, Dusty’s not about to win over any Christian fans. In fact, he’ll probably piss off a handful of atheists with his abrasive style. But it’s hard to disagree with what he says: Christians can’t “have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ” because it’s always a one-way interaction. (Possible NSFW language.) If you could have a one-way personal relationship with somebody, then that means I have a personal relationship with every girl in every porn video I have ever seen…. Read more
Just because you’re an atheist doesn’t mean you’re rational. Good to know we have the Raelians to make that point for us with their new Las Vegas billboard: You almost want to agree with them… until you notice the UFO in the sign and read the press release: … there is no God or Devil. There’s no need to live in fear. We should enjoy our precious lives to the fullest while of course giving love all around us. Surely… Read more
Hi Richard; I recently decided that it was okay to share with people that I’m just not that into church. I was raised Irish Catholic and it’s going to take a few more years of therapy to undo all the bullshit that goes along with that. I haven’t come out to my family because there is no point in it. Everyone will have heart attacks and in addition to asking me why I’m not married and having children (don’t feel… Read more
… as long as you think and speak and act and believe exactly as they do. Thank you, homogeneous white men. It’s a cartoon, but that’s really the attitude you see from a lot of church leaders. The rebels who buck the trend quickly get branded as unChristian. That intolerance in the face of dissent is a scar the church has to deal with. Just look at this comment I saw on a Christian blog yesterday. The lady in question… Read more
Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas is a Christian school (associated with the Churches of Christ). It’s the type of school where students have to attend chapel and abide by a curfew. Sex outside marriage is forbidden. So is pornography. But, as it turns out, there are gay students even at Harding. And today, a group of them — some current students, some alumni — are releasing an online magazine where they speak out about their sexuality (albeit anonymously). I got… Read more
Jason Boyett — a Christian who admits to having doubts about aspects of his faith — proposes a simple question on his site: (I’m paraphrasing) Is it better to believe in God but live like you don’t or not believe in God but live like you do? Or, phrased another way (in his words), “What’s more important: belief or actions?” I winced at the question itself. I don’t believe in God. And, dammit, I live like I don’t. There’s nothing… Read more
The Center For Inquiry is beginning an ad campaign of their own this week, letting people know “You don’t need God — to hope, to care, to love, to live.” The ads can now be seen in Washington, D.C. on 15 buses and at two Metro stations. Billboards will go up in Indianapolis and Houston beginning on March 7th. It’s a great message (though I’m sure the graphic designers in the audience will provide plenty of backlash). But as I’ve… Read more
***Update***: I’m not sure what’s going on, but this post on the RBB site sounds very troubling. … Rock Beyond Belief, a festival for non-religious members of our military (go Foxhole Atheists!), now has a firm date: April 2nd. Richard Dawkins is set to headline the event and there are several other secular speakers and musicians in the lineup (I’ll be there, too!): I’m really excited about this event — a lot of credit goes to SPC Justin Griffith for… Read more
When I went to churches, I only wrote about my experiences there. I should’ve gone one step further and asked to write their bulletins like Rat in Pearls Before Swine: That’s where all the real power is… Read more
