Reader Lexi did a little experiment recently — it involved mixing some Bacardi 151 (alcohol) with ice cream and setting the mixture on fire. She was able to take a picture of the result: In the spirit of pareidolia, she sees an angel. I see The Lion King — Rafiki holding Simba up for everyone to admire. I’m sure Jesus is hidden somewhere in there, too. What do you think? Read more
***Update***: The article’s subject, Omar Call, responded to this post and the article about him in the comments. … We’ve all been annoyed by street preachers before. Some of us (atheists and religious people) try to avoid them altogether. Others prefer to debate them head on. Would it be any different if the “street preacher” were preaching atheism…? Would you avoid the person all the same? Niki D’Andrea recently wrote a cover story for the Phoenix New Times alternative newspaper… Read more
Thanks, Ashley 🙂 And thank you, His Noodliness, for all you’ve given us this year. Anyone else get any memorable cards this holiday season? Read more
What do you think will be happening in the new year? Take a shot at a prediction. You can’t be any worse than the self-proclaimed professionals: Read more
The Secular Coalition for America’s Lori Lipman Brown appeared on NPR’s Day to Day today to discuss “the role secular values will play in the next administration.” Full audio is available on the Day to Day website. Lori’s part begins around the 9:20 mark. Read more
The will.i.am song Yes We Can spoke about equality for all using the words of Barack Obama. Now, the question is whether atheists are included in that mix. With an invocation and benediction prayer being given at the inauguration (by Pastor Rick Warren and Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, respectively), atheists are saying those who do not believe in God are being considered second class citizens. Below is a revamped version of Yes We Can created with atheists in mind –… Read more
I’m not a Biblical scholar but I know many of you (including Christians) have strong opinions on this issue. Reader Melissa sends this in an email: … I feel as though I am reliving last semester — a period in which I took both Mythology and History at once. During the beginning, due to the influence Mythology had on me, I was positive that “Jesus Christ” was just a fictional character, spread by merchants over large lands, that evolved and… Read more
I’ve been to a lot of book signings for other authors. Occasionally, you don’t ask the author to sign their book… you bring them something else. It might be funny or an inside joke or something personal. For example, I’ve seen Richard Dawkins sign a banana: I’ve seen the creators of South Park (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) sign a Bible: When I went to see theoretical physicist Lisa Randall give a talk recently, a friend had her sign a… Read more
Perhaps that’s a paradoxical headline… but whatever. Try singing these with your family! My favorites: Joy to the world, Bill Nye is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every mind prepare him room, And science and nature sing, And science and nature sing, And science, and science and nature sing. … O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How murderous and wasteful To end your life so carelessly, So thoughtless and distasteful. We carry on traditions vile, To honor Superstition’s… Read more
