An Atheist Manifesto
Update: (2/08/2006 1:35 p.m. EST) Read Sam Harris’ additional arguments about The Reality of Islam Editor’s Note: At a time when fundamentalist religion has an unparalleled influence in the highest government levels in the United States, and religion-based terror dominates the world stage, Sam Harris argues that progressive tolerance of faith-based unreason is as great a menace as religion itself. Harris, a philosophy graduate of Stanford who has studied eastern and western religions, won the 2005 PEN Award for nonfiction for The End of Faith, which powerfully examines and explodes the absurdities of organized religion. Truthdig asked Harris to write a charter document for his thesis that belief in God, and appeasement of religious extremists of all faiths by moderates, has been and continues to be the greatest threat to world peace and a sustained assault on reason.
“Can’t You Atheists Keep Your Opinions To Yourselves?”—No I Cannot.
Reasons Why I am Vocal about my Atheism The other day I received an email asking me why I am so vocal in my atheist and general anti-religion commentary. It was a well meant email, in that it was not full of hate speech, religious rage, etc. It concluded with the question, “From now on, why can’t we just keep our religious opinions to ourselves?”
Secular humanism
The philosophy or life stance of secular humanism (alternatively known by some adherents as Humanism, specifically with a capital H to distinguish it from other forms of humanism) embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, pseudoscience, and superstition as the basis of morality and decision making.[1][2][3][4] The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the world union of more than one hundred Humanist, rationalist, irreligious, atheistic, Bright, secular, Ethical Culture, and freethought organizations in more than 40 countries. The "Happy Human" is the official symbol of the IHEU as well as being regarded as a universally recognised symbol for those who call themselves Humanists. Secular humanist organizations are found in all parts of the world. Those who call themselves humanists are estimated to number between four and five million people worldwide.
11 Things The Bible Bans, But You Do Anyway
Yesterday, I found myself in a discussion about the anti-abortion people. The reason: It's just incomprehensible to us that people get so zealous about that issue that they'll go as far as to murder doctors who perform abortions and bomb abortion clinics. The conversation then took its natural turn to selective, self-serving interpretations of the Bible... finding a few verses that you can use to justify a position that lets you impose your morality on someone, and riding those verses hard and fast for the rest of your life. So I thought it'd be a good time to find a bunch of stuff that the Bible bans... stuff that's a lot LESS convenient. Don't worry, though... just because I'm pointing it out, that doesn't mean you now have to follow it.
Why Can't I Own a Canadian?
October 2002 Dr. 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.
2012 February
Feb22 Edit 25/4/12 to reword as per comments. Admin Would he make death threats to Jessica Ahlquist?
A Bad Taste!
I'm redating this from exbeliever, a former contributor [John]. The Psalmist writes, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8).
Richard Carrier Blogs
Back by popular demand, I am teaching my online course on naturalism as a philosophy and worldview this May (just a few weeks away). Learn about all aspects of naturalism as a philosophy of life, and how to use it in practical ways and improve on it. In the process you will learn many of the basics of college-level philosophy. The course begins May 1 and ends May 31.
logic « The Godless Paladin
I consider myself a very open minded person. If someone is able to present me with enough evidence in favor of their position I will believe them, even if it means I must admit the position I previously held was wrong. I get the feeling very few people are actually willing to do this. So what about god(s)? Well, yes, if you present to me enough evidence to prove that you’re particular god is true, and not just a fairy tale like you claim everybody else’s god to be, then I will believe you and convert.
Richard Dawkins, what on earth happened to you?
Another day, another tweet from Richard Dawkins proving that if non-conscious material is given enough time, it is capable of evolving into an obstreperous crackpot who should have retired from public speech when he had the chance to bow out before embarrassing himself. — Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins)July 29, 2014Date rape is bad. Stranger rape at knifepoint is worse. If you think that's an endorsement of date rape, go away and learn how to think.
Why I Stopped Believing in God - Lauren J Barnhart
After my sister was born, my mom was told she couldn’t have any more kids. Six years later, I was her miracle. She always told me I wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t intervened.
Losing faith « The Gospel According to the Romans
If which religion you follow is a matter of choice, then having any religion at all is also a matter of choice. You don’t have to have one. Breaking free – it’s just a choice What you choose to believe will be based on a combination of reason and emotion. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Watch Daniel Dennett’s ‘How to Tell You’re an Atheist’ speech
May 28, 2012 This past year at the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, famed American cognitive scientist, philosopher and atheist, Daniel Dennett, delivered a speech entitled “How to Tell You’re an Atheist.” Dennett, along with Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens, might best be described as the Holy Trinity of atheism. Where Hitchens was a brilliant, militant and supremely eloquent orator, able to logically eviscerate believers left and right, and Dawkins was the scientist provocateur of the three, Dennett has been the more subtle tactician, combining the best of Hitchens and Dawkins without as much attention. Dennett looks rather like a hybrid of a college philosophy professor and Santa Claus dressed in business-casual attire, which works to his favor: his grandfatherly, non-confrontational approach might be better able to convince the faithful to entertain atheism than Dawkins and Hitchens’ militancy. Watch Dennett deliver his informative but whimsical speech below.
