- Book Review: The Republican War on Science
The Library • April 29, 2006
Once the party of small government and fiscal conservativism, America's Republican party has in the past few decades been hijacked by an unlikely coalition of religious extremists and big-business interests. This coalition has risen to power by cynically exploiting people's fears, courting the support of minority special interest groups, and attacking its opponents' patriotism as [...]
- Upcoming Carnivals for May 2006
The Foyer • April 27, 2006
• The 29th Philosophers' Carnival will be hosted at Daylight Atheism on May 1, this coming Monday. It's not too late to submit a post - check the carnival home page for the nomination form, or simply e-mail me. Nominations will be accepted through Sunday night.
• And soon afterward, on May 10, the 12th Carnival [...]
- A Look in the Mirror
The Rotunda • April 27, 2006
Marc Gellman, a Jewish rabbi and one-half of the "God Squad", has recently written a solo column titled "Trying to Understand Angry Atheists" in which he takes up one of the oldest religious clichés - that atheists are "angry".
It starts out well enough:
I think I need to understand atheists better. I bear them no [...]
- Higher Truth
The Loft • April 26, 2006
While browsing Usenet some time ago, I came across this post on the newsgroup alt.religion.christian. It appears to be an excerpt from the book Drawing Near, a collection of 365 "daily readings for a deeper faith" by Christian pastor John MacArthur, whose ministry Grace to You claims a worldwide radio program, eleven million audiocassettes sold, [...]
- Answer the Question, Billy
The Rotunda • April 25, 2006
Thanks to a Google news alert, I recently became aware that the evangelist Billy Graham has a syndicated newspaper column, entitled "My Answer". Graham addresses both theological queries and requests for advice, both of which he typically answers by quoting Bible verses and ending with a standard invitation for the reader to convert to Christianity. [...]
- The Politics of Atheism III
The Garden • April 24, 2006
Business & the Market
In matters of economic organization, as in other areas, atheists should be guided by the evidence. One thing history has shown is that state-controlled economies simply do not work. The Soviet Union, the largest experiment in communism in human history, ultimately collapsed under the weight of its own failed economic structure, and [...]
- Have You No Sense of Decency?
The Rotunda • April 22, 2006
After the vigorous (although, I'm happy to say, civil) debate inspired by the first two Politics of Atheism posts, I figured everyone could use a break. The third and final part of that series will appear shortly.
In the meantime, allow me to bring to your attention a story that demonstrates the truly evil and [...]
- The Politics of Atheism II
The Garden • April 20, 2006
Social Justice
As part of the compassion that we as atheists should have for all living beings, I advocate joining in efforts to end poverty. Wealth honestly earned is a powerful incentive for people to work hard and succeed, and it is not intrinsically unjust for different members of society to enjoy different levels of luxury. [...]
- Another Brief History of Time
The Observatory • April 19, 2006
I recently came across a gorgeous Flash presentation briefly chronicling the history of the universe, from the Big Bang to humanity. Check it out: Evolution - What Next? Click on the red "Time Slider" arrow to get it started, then click and drag the slider along the timeline. I haven't explored the rest of the [...]
- The Politics of Atheism I
The Garden • April 18, 2006
A reader of Daylight Atheism recently made an excellent suggestion via e-mail:
As several of your recent posts suggest, it is perhaps time for atheists to unite into a force for change. And in America, that means political change. I welcome this prospect, but believe that we should have some agreement on what changes to make [...]
- Happy Easter!
The Foyer • April 16, 2006
I hope this joyous holiday finds all my readers healthy and well. Allow me to grant a blessing to you in commemoration of this holiest of days.
UPDATE: Celebrate Easter with the Carnival of the Godless at A Rational Being.
- Where Credit is Due
The Rotunda • April 14, 2006
This blog frequently criticizes the religious right, that group of cultural conservatives and fundamentalists who use Christianity to justify their bigoted, theocratic and anti-humanist views. But this group is so often in the news pushing its agenda, it is sometimes easy to forget that they do not speak for all believers in America. There is [...]
- Thirsting for Persecution
The Rotunda • April 12, 2006
In the United States of America today, Christianity, and specifically right-wing fundamentalist Christianity, is enjoying a resurgence. The religious right controls all three branches of the federal government, commands the allegiance of tens of millions of followers, broadcasts their message constantly on TV channels and radio stations that they exclusively control, and operates thriving tax-free [...]
- Cathedral of Suns: A Humanist Sermon
The Garden • April 10, 2006
In my encounters with religious proselytizers, I have occasionally been told that atheism robs the world of the sense of awe and wonder, that my lack of belief in a god who miraculously created us all must mean that my life is lacking in the intangible qualities that makes it worth living. I have been [...]
- The Apocalypse Cheerleaders
The Rotunda • April 8, 2006
As many others have observed, the right wing in modern American politics subsists in a near-perpetual state of frothing rage. This situation serves the purpose of leaders of the religious right, since after all, angry people are more easily led and less likely to think coherently; and to encourage it to continue, they whip their [...]
- On Free Will V: Moral Responsibility
The Library • April 6, 2006
The last and arguably most important question of free will, one that is closely intertwined with the nature of choice, is the issue of moral responsibility. What is it that makes us responsible for what we do?
Most traditional views, especially dualist views, hold that for a person to be morally responsible for an action they [...]
- Hello, Beautiful
The Observatory • April 5, 2006
(Note: The final post in the free will series will appear tomorrow.)
It has been a hundred and twenty-five years since Charles Darwin passed away, but his legacy is alive and well. The theory of evolution which he was first to propose has become the unifying pillar of modern biology, drawing together a vast array of [...]
- Filth-Based Initiatives
The Rotunda • April 4, 2006
The claim is often bandied about that atheists are "angry". The implication, presumably, is that life without God offers only a life of constant frustration and unhappiness (and, one imagines, damnation thereafter - wrath being one of the seven deadly sins), whereas belief in God is the road to tranquility and peace.
However, if this is [...]
- On Free Will IV: The Nature of Choice
The Library • April 3, 2006
What does it mean to make a choice? This question is at the heart of many of the debates over free will, and justifiably so. It may seem simple initially, but the more deeply one considers it, the knottier it becomes.
The basic dilemma seems to be this: Every event that occurs either had sufficient [...]
- Out of Respect
The Loft • April 2, 2006
A recurring topic of debate among atheists is just how much respect we should pay to people's religious beliefs. A substantial number of nonbelievers, I am certain, would unabashedly proclaim that religion is all so much superstitious rubbish, and we should not pay other people's ridiculous superstitions any respect, regardless of the esteem in which [...]
- On Free Will III: Outsmarting the Prediction Machine
The Library • April 1, 2006
Clearly, what is immaterial in the human mind can influence the physical world, or our acts of will and understanding would be without effect. If our will is free these physical effects are not wholly predictable.
—http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9511/revessay.html
A merchant in Baghdad sent his servant to the market. The servant returned, trembling and frightened. The servant told the [...]
