The headline on Reddit reads: Hundreds dead after Atheist and Agnostic gangs clash in Nigeria You can see where that story leads… The question: Is that headline making a fair point? Some people will argue that this is not simply a religious conflict; there are plenty of other factors that go into it. But religion sure makes it easy to divide people up in an “Us vs. Them” mentality… Read more
Apparently, The Astrological Magazine ceased production last year. Why? This screenshot may give you some indication: Anyone else see the irony…? (via Hindu Atheist) Read more
by Richard Wade I am gratified by the thoughtful comments to my post Do You Really Support Freedom of Speech? Some of the comments have been so thoughtful that they have attributed all sorts of extra thoughts and meanings to me that are simply not there, so I’ll attempt to clear up some people’s misconceptions and incorrect conclusions about what I meant: My list of five ways to respond, A through E, was not intended to be exhaustive. Of course… Read more
Yeah, you don’t technically celebrate Christmas, but that won’t stop you from asking for presents or buying something for yourself. Here’s are some of my recommendations for atheist books you’ll want this holiday season. (And by that, I mean I want them this holiday season.) Some of them have been around for a while, some you probably haven’t heard of, and some won’t be published until next year (but you can pre-order them now). … Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide… Read more
Apparently, I’ve been saying several words incorrectly my entire life without realizing it. It took a group of my sophomore Geometry students to finally point this out to me… and now they won’t allow me to proceed with class unless I correct myself. For example: Picture. I say “pitcher.” They say “Pick-chur.” Figure. I say “figger.” They say “fig-yur.” Length. I say “lenth.” They say “Lane-th.” (Update: I’m now adding to the original list:) Tuesday. I say “Chews-day.” They say… Read more
The question is: Will a Christian actually buy one now?: Also, how come Satan is naked while Jesus gets a t-shirt…? (Thanks to Rose for the link!) Read more
Neece at Heaving Dead Cats offers 10 reasons why atheists are morally superior to religious fundamentalists: No god tells me to hate gay people, so I have no reason to hate them. In fact I think if gay people love each other and want to get married, more power to them. Why should we stop love and caring? I encourage it. … No god tells me to pray instead of seek medical attention. I believe in all kinds of scientific… Read more
Joe M. has an answer to that question: Don’t bother playing the game. Also remember that the person that wishes you a “Happy Holiday” has no way of knowing if you are christian, jewish, muslim, or atheist and is honestly just wishing you well for the season. Take that as the kindness that it is. … Atheists: remember that this season does have religious meaning to a majority of folks. In the spirit of goodwill, show [a] little extra patience… Read more
There are 25 entries on this list: While bands like The Killers and The Jonas Brothers are openly religious, there are many more who either rubbish religion completely or despise everything it stands for. Gigwise takes a look at a collection of bands and music stars who have shunned, mocked or slammed religion either in interviews, through their songs or artwork. Some are atheists, others express mild disapproval and at the other extreme there are anti-religious groups who vehemently slam… Read more
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” (Attributed to, but not actually said by Voltaire) Richard Wade here. With all the recent controversy over billboards, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on our own attitudes toward freedom of speech. This “Fear God” billboard has been up in my home town in Southern California for many months. As far as I can find out, there have… Read more