Atheist Revolution Religious belief is a destructive force that causes far more harm than good. Atheist Revolution is a blog dedicated to breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism in America. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 54 8842

Articles from Atheist Revolution

Dawkins Says Threats to Reality-Based Community Not Limited to Right 1969-12-31 17:59:59 I think Richard Dawkins is right to point out that attacks on the reality-based community do not come solely from the Christian Right. In fact, I sometimes wonder if our focus on the usual right-wind tactics leads us to miss some of what has been happening on the Left. Dawkins points to the political Left and their cultural relativism (i.e., political correctness) as an equally important threat of anything we're seeing on the Right.We have grown accustomed to Christian extremists ranting about wanting to turn America into a Christian theocracy, pushing young earth creationism, and a host of other destructive plans for Christianizing the masses. We are aware that they believe their religious delusion should be favored above all others and want this to be reflected in our laws.But what about the Left? According to Dawkins,"I think we face an equal but much more sinister challenge from the left, in the shape of cultural relativism - the view that scientific truth is only one kind of trut ...

Spreading the Atheist Meme Via Web 2.0: Focus on Squidoo 1969-12-31 17:59:59 One of my many passions involves doing what I can to educate the public about atheism. While this was not the main reason I started Atheist Revolution, it has become one of the reasons I persist. While the need to preserve my anonymity limits the nature of my efforts to spread the atheist meme, I am continuing to discover new forums faster than I can fully utilize them. In this post, I will introduce you to Squidoo and show you what I've recently started there.What is Squidoo?According to their homepage,"Squidoo is the world's most popular site for people who want to build a page about their passions. Highlight books, blogs, vids, online shops, or just spread the word about stuff you love."Sounds perfect for spreading the atheist meme or just about anything else one cares about, doesn't it? Note that they also advertise it as a tool for blog promotion. If you are a blogger, that was probably the part that got your attention. Admittedly, this was what first led me to check out Squido ...

Election 2008: Lesser of Many Evils? 1969-12-31 17:59:59 At this point, I am starting to have trouble imagining myself feeling particularly excited about any of the 2008 presidential candidates. The Republicans are fairly easy to rule out because I'm neither wealthy nor a Christian extremist. Their three front runners are embarrassingly inept, and it makes me wince to hear Internet sensation Ron Paul talk about getting rid of virtually every federal department or agency. Since I align myself much more with progressive politics, the Democrats seem to be the natural choice. Unfortunately, I'm not sure their leading candidates are much more appealing.Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are now falling over themselves in a mad scramble to win the Christian vote. It is hard to blame them for seeking the support of such a large majority of voters. The sad truth about modern America is that a presidential candidate can not remain competitive without pandering to religious groups. Our elections are determined by people who would never vote for someone the ...

Understanding Secular Humanists 1969-12-31 17:59:59 It is a mistake to think that people who are not religious lack a functioning moral system. As A.C. Grayling notes on Comment is Free, secular humanism provides nonbelievers with just such an ethical system, "...all the richer indeed for being the result of reflection as opposed to conditioning..." Simply put, a secular humanist is someone whose ethical system is not rooted in a particular religious tradition.An excellent example of secular morality is the so-called Golden Rule. This moral precept, that one should treat others as one would like to be treated, predates the Abrahamic religions, effectively shredding the claim made by many Christians that their bible is somehow the source of all morality. When considering whether a particular act would be immoral, one can consider its likely impact on others without needing to attempt to cherry pick from one's "holy" text.As Grayling points out, humanists are unconcerned with threats of supernatural punishment or reward, focusing instead ...

Promoting Atheism in Oregon 1969-12-31 17:59:59 There is an outstanding letter about atheism in the Oregon Daily Emerald. Here are some highlights:Recently the Democratic presidential front-runners participated in a "Faith and Politics" forum on CNN to prove their religiosity to the voters. Why is this attack on the separation of church and state so easily accepted? Why is this blatant bigotry not only tolerated, but also encouraged? Don't we deserve to be judged by the content of our character, not by our willingness to embrace superstition? Do we really want to continue to keep some of the brightest and most educated people out of public office?AndWe ask our judges, our journalists and our educators to stick to the facts. It gives us the best odds for positive results. This is what we strive to do in our educational institutions and in our justice system because we know that a critical look at all the evidence will most likely lead to the most desirable outcome. So why is this method of reasoning marginalized when it comes to the ...

Action Alert: Stop Wasting Funds on Abstinence-Only Sex Ed 1969-12-31 17:59:59 The Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted to cut funding for abstinence-only sex education by over 25%. Given clear evidence that abstinence-only programs neither reduce teen pregnancy nor reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, this is an important (if limited) step toward reality-based policy. However, the measure still has to get through the House and is now scheduled to do so the week of July 9. To e-mail your Representative, visit the Secular Coalition for America's action page.Tags: education, funding, sex ed, sex education, abstinence-only, Congress, activism, Secular Coalition for America ...

Blog Against Theocracy July 1-4 1969-12-31 17:59:59 Blog Against Theocracy is coming soon - July 1-4 to be exact. If you have a blog, this is a great excuse to do a post or two against theocracy. I participated in April, and it did generate quite a bit of traffic from what I recall. For more information about what they are looking for and how to submit your post(s), visit the Blog Against Theocracy blog.H/Ts to Friendly Atheist and Blue Gal.Tags: blog, blogging, blogswarm, theocracy, church and state, religion, politics ...

What Politics Needs is a Healthy Dose of Reason 1969-12-31 17:59:59 Of all the comments I receive on this blog, the ones that distresses me the most are those in which the commenter reveals that he/she considers politics unimportant, chooses not to follow politics, or simply does not participate in the political process. As both an American and an atheist, I believe that I have a moral duty to be an active and informed participant in politics. As Al Gore argues in The Assault on Reason, the success of the American democracy depends on an informed electorate with an investment in the political process. I agree, and I have attempted to be an informed participant since my 18th birthday.As an atheist, I believe that I have a responsibility to work toward preserving the separation of church and state that characterizes America's secular democracy. Since atheists happen to be a despised minority, I also think that it is critical to increase our voice throughout society and our visibility in the political arena. To conclude that politics is somehow unimporta ...

Humanist Symposium #4 1969-12-31 17:59:59 The fourth Humanist Symposium is up at Nullifidian. Check it out. ...

Empowering Nonbelievers: The Atheist Revival 1969-12-31 17:59:59 I have been somewhat critical of the phrase "new atheism," noting that I find little new about it. I suppose I dislike the term primarily because I feel that it diminishes the contributions of those speaking out against the absurdities of religious belief long before Dawkins and Harris emerged on the scene to become lighting rods for the media. But regardless of what you or I choose to call it, it is clear that we are witnessing a reinvigorated atheist movement. One of the best things about this movement is the manner in which it serves to empower nonbelievers.Let me be clear that I happily count myself among the admirers of both Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, as well as countless others speaking out and writing about the problems with religion and the benefits of a reality-based worldview. I have no quarrel with anyone who chooses to use the "new atheism" label even though I find it unsatisfactory. What Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, Hitchens, and others are doing is providing a much need ...

AU Action Alert: DC Vouchers 1969-12-31 17:59:59 From Americans United for Separation of Church and State:Urgent!Call Your Representative Now to Oppose More Funding for DC VouchersSources on the Hill have just informed us that Rep. Tom Davis may offer an amendment on the House floor to the Financial Services Appropriations bill that would increase funding for the Washington, DC private school voucher program. Congress implemented this federally-funded voucher program in 2004, despite overwhelming opposition from DC residents. Just a year later, a Department of Education Study found that 43% of vouchers in the program went to students who were already attending private schools.Private schools should be funded with private funds. DC does not need more money for a private school voucher program.Please call your Representative right away and urge him/her to vote against the Davis Amendment to the Financial Services Appropriations bill.Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121Suggested Message:"I urge Representative _______ to VOTE NO on the Da ...

Hein v. FFRF Decided: Executive Branch Free to Fund Religious Organizations 1969-12-31 17:59:59 We have a major court verdict today. In Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against a challenge to the Bush administration's use of tax dollars to fund their faith-based initiatives. The impact of this decision is that American citizens do not have standing to challenge discretionary spending by the executive branch to support religiously-oriented programs in court.Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued a statement saying that today's decision, while disappointing, is unlikely to affect most church-state litigation.?This is a disappointing decision that blocks the courthouse door for Americans with legitimate church-state grievances,? said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. ?Taxpayers should be allowed to challenge public funding of religion, whether the money is allocated by Congress or the White House.?"However," Lynn continued, "it is important to note that this ruling applies to only a few sit ...

Tagged By Psychodiva 1969-12-31 17:59:59 I was tagged by Psychodiva in one of the many blog memes going around. For those who haven't seen this one yet, here is how it works.We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.My 8 random facts/habits:The movie that most terrified me in my youth was The Shining.In high school, I once pretended to be Christian to get with a girl I'd had a crush on all throughout junior high. And yes, she was worth it.In college, I ended up majoring in psychology and minoring in philosophy rather than the other way around because I couldn't figure out how I would be able to support myself with a philosophy degree. If I had it to do over again, I th ...

Romney Troubled By Criticism of His Faith 1969-12-31 17:59:59 According to the Associated Press via The Salt Lake Tribune, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is troubled by campaign attacks on his Mormon faith. He says that such criticism by his rival candidates is happening too frequently. Don't you feel sorry for the guy? I mean, just because he believes all sorts of absurd things doesn't mean we should criticize them, does it?Whether we like it or not, the American people have decided that religion is relevant in the 2008 elections. The consequence of this is that each candidate will face at least some questions about the nature of his or her superstitions. The problem is, they won't face the right sort of questions.I'd like to ask Mitt Romney how he can possibly believe a number of things (e.g., the three migrations) shown to be false by converging lines of scientific evidence. I'd like to know why he thinks that someone who holds demonstrably false beliefs should be allowed to hold any public office, much less the highest off ...

Weekend Blogging: Effective Tactic or Wasted Effort? 1969-12-31 17:59:59 I've been reading a number of blog posts and websites offering tips for boosting blog traffic lately. These blog promotion gurus tend to offer similar advice, suggesting that the many overlapping techniques probably have a reasonable chance of success. Still, there is one common suggestion that I just can't figure out - increasing one's post frequency on the weekends.The rationale for this suggestion is quite clear. There tend to be fewer blog posts made on the weekends. Those of us looking to increase our traffic should take advantage of this by increasing our posting frequency on the weekends. Since there are fewer posts made overall on weekends, our weekend posts have a better chance of being noticed and thus bringing us traffic.My problem with this suggestion is that I am still not convinced that it works. I typically post 2-3 more often on weekends than I do during weekdays simply because I have more free time, but my traffic statistics reveal a consistent drop on the weekends. ... Blogging