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GOD IS NOT... 2007-09-29 05:30:38 By Susan Jacoby, on the Washington Post blogGod Is Not...Well, He's Just NotI am not too fond of absolutist ex cathedra statements, even when they come from someone who is definitely not the pope and with whom I am in total agreement about the irrationality of all faith in the supernatural. Modify the noun "religion" with the adjective "fundamentalist," and I'll sign on to that sentiment.All belief in the supernatural; ie., that which contradicts the laws of nature, is irrational by definition. But there are many religious denominations that are no longer violent, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children. You know which ones they are. These are all, as Sam Harris has pointed out, religions that have allowed themselves to be modified by secular knowledge. But I respectfully disagree with Harris, Hitchens, and Richard Dawkins, who have all suggested that "moderate" relig ...

The Subtle, Lethal Poison of Religion 2007-09-28 06:35:08 By Christopher Hitchens, from the Washington Post blog.On Sunday the New York Times reported on the recrudescence of "faith-based" teaching in Russian public schools:"A teacher named Irina Donshina set aside her textbooks, strode before her second-graders and, as if speaking from a pulpit, posed a simple question:"Whom should we learn to do good from?""From God!" the children said."Right!" Ms. Donshina said. "Because people he created crucified him. But did he accuse them or curse them or hate them? Of course not? He continued loving and feeling pity for them, though he could have eliminated all of us and the whole world in a fraction of a second."This grisly vignette, which almost perfectly summarizes the relationship between sadism and masochism in Christian teaching, probably wouldn't delight all those who think that morality derives from supernatural authority. After all, the Russian Orthodox Church was the patron of Czarist autocracy, helped spread The Protocols of the Elders of ...

I can accept myself again 2007-09-28 05:42:25 Sent in by Ellytoad Before I begin, I want to point out that I am, indeed, an ex-Christian, so forgive some of my terminology here.Do you know what my least favorite Christian teaching is? It is the one that states how Jesus could have smited all of mankind off of the face of the earth for our evilness but instead, out of the pure generosity of His heart, decided to die for us instead. Yes, the belief that fills so many Christians up with tearful thankfulness used to make me think I was totally worthless. Such a feeling is apparently a healthy one in Christianity's eyes, because it means knowing just how ugly and deserving of Hell one's soul truly is.After a time of wallowing in this state of mind, I began to realize that mankind was far more innocent of its "sinful nature" than my former fellow believers would have me think. There's two details that brought me to that conclusion; one, we were born with the weakness of sin inside of us, and two, it is apparently impossible for us N ...

Army specialist harassed for being an atheist 2007-09-27 11:34:49 Military officials in Iraq are investigating allegations that an Army specialist is being harassed for being an atheist but said Saturday that they cannot find an officer the soldier has named in a federal lawsuit.Spc. Jeremy Hall and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation filed a lawsuit against Maj. Paul Welborne and Defense Secretary Robert Gates in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, this past week. It alleges that Welborne threatened to pursue military charges against Hall and to block his reenlistment because he was trying to hold a meeting of atheists and non-Christians in Iraq.The suit also alleges that Gates permits a military culture in which officers are encouraged to pressure soldiers to adopt and espouse fundamentalist Christian beliefs.On Friday, Mikey Weinstein, the foundation's founder and president, released to The Associated Press copies of e-mails from Hall in which the soldier said he had been harassed and threatened on blogs with being killed by friendl ...

Hello angry Christians! 2007-09-27 05:16:44 Hi, I'm Pat Condell.I don't respect your beliefsand I don't care if you're offended.Cheers.PatCondell.Com ...

What We Need More Of Is Science 2007-09-27 05:09:30 The official video for the song "What We Need More of Is Science" by MC Hawking from the album "A Brief History of Rhyme." Once again, the world is made safe for the pursuits of reason and logic thanks to the unique powers and skills possessed by M.C. Hawking. ...

An atheist talks to God 2007-09-26 04:37:12 A short video by Cristofer7 in which he explains why he still sometimes talks to God. More videos by Cristofer7 ...

Why Can't I Own a Canadian? 2007-09-26 04:31:23 Posted by J.C. SamuelsonAn oldie but a goody reposted from http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html:October 2002Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative:Dear Dr. Laura:Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and h ...

Confused and in fear 2007-09-26 04:18:00 From Lori KJust Kinda wanted to say hi, I left the Christian church and my husband three years ago. It's still been a struggle. My 7-year-old son when he visits his Dad, is being told awful stories about how if he doesn't believe in God, he will go to hell, and how I'm full of the devil. Now this poor kid lives day today, confused and in fear. It's just nice to see others who have been through the same thing. I just go day by day, but I worry about my boy. ...

Teacher fired for saying Bible isn't literal 2007-09-25 09:30:13 A community college instructor in Red Oak claims he was fired after he told his students that the biblical story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted.Steve Bitterman, 60, said officials at Southwestern Community College sided with a handful of students who threatened legal action over his remarks in a western civilization class Tuesday. He said he was fired Thursday."I'm just a little bit shocked myself that a college in good standing would back up students who insist that people who have been through college and have a master's degree, a couple actually, have to teach that there were such things as talking snakes or lose their job," Bitterman said.Sarah Smith, director of the school's Red Oak campus, declined to comment Friday on Bitterman's employment status. The school's president, Barbara Crittenden, said Bitterman taught one course at Southwest. She would not comment, however, on his claim that he was fired over the Bible reference, saying it was a personnel is ...

Deconversion Central 2007-09-25 05:30:08 By LiniasmaxA song lyric I find amusing is from an old REO Speedwagon song:It's time to bring this ship into the shoreAnd throw away the oars foreverThis is an early 1980s tune if I remember correctly, but either way I believe it's been a long time since we rowed ships with oars. (I love my fellow brethren and sistren on this site by the way... yes I'm random). Bad analogies can work, for I believe it is time to throw away the oars forever of the life I began leaving behind in April. You see, when I was a Christian, especially in the younger days, a favorite, inspiring thing to say was: leave the safety of the shore and go deeper into the love of Christ... Be like Peter... let go... Jesus is the life preserver...etc. etc." What is now cheesy was at the time so profound...but...At this moment - every Sunday afternoon - I always feel like bringing the big ship of my faith and the life it has built for me into the shore and getting rid of the oars (to complete the metaphor) - flat ...

I thank a nun for freeing my mind 2007-09-25 05:25:17 Sent in by Mary SBeing the offspring of Polish and Italian parents it was a given that I should be raised Catholic.My brother and I attended Catechism on Wednesday afternoons while we attended public school. When I was eight years old I somehow got the courage to ask the nun how different languages came about. I already had an idea of how it happened, people moving around, etc. Well, she proceeded to tell the story of the Tower of Babel and how God got mad so he changed the languages so they couldn't yell down for the tools needed. At the tender age of eight I just wasn't buying this story, I wanted a more realistic answer. After that I just daydreamed in Catechism class and never heard another word a nun said. I don't think an eight year old has a grasp on what the meaning of a god really is, but it's safe to say I never believed in a god, and to this day am very thankful to that nun who gave me liberty to my mind. Since then I question everything -- how and why, mostly.I d ...

Why religion and public schools should be separate 2007-09-25 05:21:36 By SailerFraudThe Christian fundamentalists try to impose their religion in public schools. When they are informed there is a diverse student population filled with other religions, the neo-Christians claim there is discrimination because public schools won't impose their religion as the sole standard.Sometimes it takes an outside reference point to get out of one's shortsightedness. Suppose a religious nut claims to have communal powers with the Greek mythological god Zeus. He fervently fights for his Greek Gods (Zeus, Hercules, Aphrodite, Hermes, etc...) to be recognized as the standard religion in public schools and courtrooms. He does not want his Greek gods to be taught as fiction or mythology; he wants them to be recognized as alive and the truth.Naturally, you the taxpaying citizen get defensive. You ask him to prove that the Greek gods are real and not fiction. He claims to have meet the Greek gods in his dreams and has communal powers with them. He points out that the ...

NO ARGUMENTS FOR GOD'S EXISTENCE 2007-09-24 04:35:48 Sent in by Joe MI've been monitoring the postings on this site for about a week now and I've noticed that atheist's have fell in the same trap I fell in years ago after letting my atheism be known.All atheist need to keep in mind that there is no evidence nor arguments for god's existence. All arguments that I've ever seen fall under the "god of the gaps" category. That is, if someone doesn't understand something or some cause they fill in that "gap" in man's knowledge with "god did it"!!!Keep in mind that just because there's no apparent explanation for something, in no way proves anything about the existence of a deity.When someone claims evidence for the existence of a deity, don't accept the "god must have done it" explanation. It explains nothing except a gap in man's knowledge at the time. For example, our primitive ancestors couldn't understand thunder and lightning, so they come up with "god did it." Now, no one believes that a god is the cause of lightning and thund ...

I AM AN ATHEIST BECAUSE... 2007-09-24 04:22:03 Sent in by Richard LI find no evidence of an omnipotent omniscient deity participating in my life or anyone else's. I find no evidence of a deity intervening in history. Natural disasters, diseases and famines (events over which humans have no control kill people regardless of their faith or philosophy.The burden of proof rests with believers to show their God is real. If faith is your only evidence, than you can't expect those who trust empirical evidence to share your belief.Creationism is a futile attempt to reconcile the Bible with science. Proponents peruse scientific literature for disagreements about evolution, between scientists who agree that the Earth is billions of years old and the human species a member of the primate genus. Creationists refer to statements in the Bible that they believe reveals something that science “rediscovered” centuries later, but their examples are easy to debunk by a knowledgeable skeptic. The Bible cannot coexist with science in a rational m ...