Christopher Hitchens was asked the following question on Reddit: You and your fellow horsemen (Dawkins Dennett and Harris) are sometimes referred to collectively as “New Atheists.” What does this term mean to you? Do you embrace it, or do you hold that there is nothing particularly “new” about your breed of atheism? Also, in god is not Great you briefly mention your disapproval of Dawkins and Dennett’s “Brights” movement. Are there other significant points on which you disagree with the… Read more
In case you missed it the other night, The Daily Show had a panel discussion on Brit Hume’s comments about how Tiger Woods needed to become a Christian: The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon – Thurs 11p / 10c Read more
Recently, Karen Armstrong wrote a defense of (her version of) God and religion for Foreign Policy. So-called new atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens have denounced religious belief as not only retrograde but evil; they regard themselves as the vanguard of a campaign to expunge it from human consciousness. Religion, they claim, creates divisions, strife, and warfare; it imprisons women and brainwashes children; its doctrines are primitive, unscientific, and irrational, essentially the preserve of the unsophisticated… Read more
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission has put out a list of the Top 10 Anti-Christian Acts of 2009. Dave at An Ethical Hedonist has done an excellent job of fact-checking their list and found that (surprise!) many of their claims are untrue. My favorite “debunking” from Dave is below. I think his last sentence tells you everything you need to know about how seriously you ought to take the CADC’s list: 8. The Claim: HBO’s program “Curb Your Enthusiasm” aired an… Read more
The Harlem branch of the Center for Inquiry used to be one of the few places I knew of where black people could come together as proud atheists. The 20-or-so regulars were under the leadership of Herbert Crimes (a.k.a. “Sibanye”). A few months ago, Sibanye died of a blood disease. He was only 49. What has happened to the community he helped bring together? Unfortunately, they’re not doing too well: Three months later, the fractured community remains leaderless and none… Read more
Well, give them credit where it’s due. A number of religious leaders in New Jersey are fully in support of equal marriage and they are even offering to perform gay marriage in their churches. In a letter to state government officials, 120 clergy members from 19 faiths and denominations want marriage equality to be voted on in the current legislative session. In our nation founded on the separation of church and state, the State of New Jersey should not be… Read more
A prisoner is making news because he wants a new cellmate. His current one won’t “shut up about God.” In a letter to an inmates’ magazine, [Steven] Relf wrote: “I recently had the displeasure of sharing a cell with a Bible-thumping believer.” A source said Relf was “furious” at having to share at Manchester Prison with the Christian convict and wanted him to be “evicted”. I have no sympathy for this guy. He raped two women (possibly more) while serving… Read more
Note: When letter writers sign with their first names instead of a pseudonym or nickname, I randomly change their name for added anonymity. Dear Richard, Hi. I frequently read your advice through the Friendly Atheist blog and would like to thank you for all your thoughtful insights. I am writing to you to see if you can help me with a situation. I could use your advice or advice from others because I am not sure what to do. I… Read more
Christopher Hitchens is speaking tonight in Portland, Oregon, and as an appetizer before the main course, he did an interview with Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell. There’s audio available as well as a transcript. There are some great excerpts from the interview, made even better by the idea that it’s not a “traditional” Christian who is taking on Hitchens, She’s very liberal and agrees with him on quite a bit: Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the… Read more