Note: When letter writers sign with their first names instead of a pseudonym or nickname, I randomly change their name for added anonymity. Hello, A few years ago, I met my biological mother (and siblings, etc.) for the first time at the age of 30. I had been corresponding with her, and one of my sisters, for about a year before hand, during which I found out that she was had a strong xtian faith. I had figured as much,… Read more
There are some atheist blogs out there which treat religious readers and commenters with complete contempt. I try to stay away from that — and it’s always nice reading comments by atheists on this site that show religious people some kindness and empathy — but no doubt it seeps in from time to time. Greta Christina believes that when religious people visit atheist websites (or read skeptical magazines or atheist books), they are making their first steps toward atheism whether… Read more
By Jesse Galef I spent the last week filling in for Daniel Florien at UnreasonableFaith. Writing just three posts a day gave me an appreciation for how much time Hemant and Dan put into their blogs, especially given that they have full-time (and then some) jobs. A round of applause is due. If you don’t read UnreasonableFaith, you should go check it out. I had a few posts I particularly enjoyed writing, including one looking at vigilante justice in our… Read more
The Seal Beach Atheist Meetup Group (in California) recently met up at a place called Hennessy’s Tavern. It wasn’t long before restaurant management asked the group to remove the sign advertising their group from their table. Claire Weaver, an organizer of the atheist group, explained it this way: The manager came over and told us to take the sign down. Flabbergasted, we asked why; she said she’d received several complaints (from who, she wouldn’t say – though the gray-haired man… Read more
***Update***: Ray Comfort has agreed to do an email interview for this site. Please leave your questions in the comments and I’ll pass them along to him. … Ray Comfort lied about when he would be distributing his anti-evolution version of On the Origin of Species on college campuses. He had said he would be doing the deed today. But…. We had a change of plans. We went in on the 18th. Was it pre-planned or a last-second change? I… Read more
I am liking this trend. Roxanne Westover, a 17-year-old from Ohio, stopped standing for the Pledge of Allegiance after learning in her history class that she didn’t have to. “I’m an atheist, and I believe the pledge isn’t something toward our nation,” she said. “It’s more like a religious oath, and I believe that if I stand I’m still participating in it.” Several times, she was “written up and send to the principal’s office” for not following suit and pledging…. Read more
Tonight, I’ll be appearing in a panel discussion about the movie Collision which documents a series of debates on the topic: Is Christianity Good for the World? It features Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great, and evangelical theologian Doug Wilson. The event is being sponsored by me and The Painted Door, a Chicago church. Following the screening will be a discussion about the movie featuring myself and Chad Meister, editor of of the forthcoming God is Great, God… Read more
The groups that brought you the “classlc” atheist bus ads are back with a billboard message that is sure to spark some great discussions: Please don’t label me. Let me grow up and choose for myself. How awesome is that? It takes a page from Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion where he makes a similar point: At Christmas-time one year my daily newspaper, the Independent, was looking for a seasonal image and found a heart-warmingly ecumenical one at a school… Read more
If you live within driving distance of Missouri State University (Springfield, Missouri) and you want to meet/listen to some of the biggest names in skepticism and atheism, consider attending Skepticon II this weekend! Just check out who they have there this weekend: Best of all: The event is free of charge. Here’s the weekend’s schedule. It’s sponsored by the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster at Missouri State and donations are always welcome. (Thanks to Jordan for the link!) Read more
A Swedish man claiming to be the Son of God was sentenced to prison for a month for “unlawful driving,” after getting picked up by the cops four separate times without a license over the course of four months. On one occasion, the man also attempted to hide his expired registration tabs by fashioning false plates out of cardboard, but Norwegian police saw through the ruse. The Swede defended his actions during questioning by police in the town of Moss,… Read more