Jen’s pics from Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008 remind me why it’s the greatest holiday of the year. It honors the Flying Spaghetti Monster (peace be upon Him). Just click on the pic below to expand it and enjoy the wonderful posters: Just under a hundred days before the next celebration… I’m sure the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University will outdo themselves yet again. (via Blag Hag) Read more
A quotation from Jesus and Mo, discussing the Tony Blair Faith Foundation: Promoting peace by increasing inter-faith understanding makes about as much sense as promoting sobriety by increasing alcohol consumption. Discuss. Read more
The first atheist billboard in South Florida is about to go up thanks to an anonymous donor! It’s straight-forward in its message and makes excellent use of color: The billboard will go up on June 22nd and will remain there for a month. If you’d like to help keep it up for one additional month, please consider donating here. (Thanks to Cindi and Ken for the link!) Read more
Hello, this is Ron Gold reporting. Damn. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been reelected as President of Iran by the suspiciously high margin of 62.6% to 33.7%. He defeated reformist candidate Mir Hussein Moussavi in a highly disputed election, which has been filled with accusations of corruption. So not only will the world still have to deal with a Holocaust denying nut job, but now the people of Iran may have a President that they don’t like and think is illegitimate (insert… Read more
I could use your help to generate a long list of questions (in preparation for an interview). The topic: You used to be religious, but you no longer believe that a god exists. What questions would you have as a brand new atheist? Here’s the type of stuff I’m looking for: What caused that transition? How do you make it through the day without God after relying on one for so long? Should you tell anybody you’re an atheist? If… Read more
I love when local atheist groups make the news. Especially in Kansas. Helen T. Gray of The Kansas City Star writes about a group called Recovering Religionists (RR) and what some of the members are dealing with: Julie Price has left the Catholic Church, Christianity and God. She has entered a new life without angels, saints, prayer, forgiveness and heaven. It’s unsettling at times. … “Religion was like a comfort blanket, and sometimes I miss that comfort,” said Price, of… Read more
One day, when Dale McGowan writes a full-length play about his family, I got dibs on front-row tickets on opening night. This scene features Dale and his daughter (Delaney) discussing Communion and Greek Mythology: DELANEY: Okay, I have a question. (pause) Where do people get these ideas? How do they… how do they think of stuff like that? DAD: Different ways. This one they actually got from the Greeks. They used to think the spirit of the gods lived inside… Read more
This post is by Jesse Galef, who works for the Secular Coalition for America. He also blogs at Rant & Reason … Nothing says “Visitor Center” like excluding 15% of Americans in large, engraved letters: House Committee Approves Engraving ‘In God We Trust’ in Capitol Visitor Center The House Administration Committee has unanimously approved a resolution directing the Architect of the Capitol to engrave the National Motto — “In God We Trust” – and the Pledge of Allegiance inside the… Read more
What’s wrong with superstition? Sometimes, it can make gullible people believe that something other than themselves controls their lives. But in the worst of scenarios, it can kill. We’ve already seen religious superstition do that in the case of Madeline Neumann when her parents denied her the medicine she needed because they felt God would take care of it. Madeline died at the age of 11. It’s even more brutal in places like Kenya, where superstitious beliefs have led to… Read more
Give it up to Fred Phelps and the folks at Westboro Baptist Church: They definitely know something about atheists. Take a look at their explanation for Sunday’s protest at Seattle Pacific University: Commence Ur trip to hell! We will be on hand at your graduation to ask a few things and point out a few things. Why do you Methodists want to pretend you are going to heaven? You know you threw out the truth of God many years ago…. Read more