- The Illusion of Balance
The Rotunda • June 27, 2006
The founding fathers of the United States of America wrote freedom of the press into the very first amendment of the Bill of Rights. As their own quotes and records show, they did this because they felt that a free, independent press was one of the most vital checks on the power of government, and [...]
- The Carnival of the Godless Is Coming...
The Foyer • June 26, 2006
It is my honor and privilege to announce that the 44th Carnival of the Godless will appear at Daylight Atheism on Sunday, July 9, thirteen days from today. If you're a godless blogger who hasn't yet appeared in the CotG, this is your chance! I'd very much like to feature some fresh new voices alongside [...]
- A Happy Birthday Wish
The Garden • June 25, 2006
I realize this has been an eventful day on Daylight Atheism, but it's come to my attention that today is also a very special day, one that I'd be remiss if I failed to commemorate.
From the Freedom from Religion Foundation's daily Freethought of the Day e-mail bulletin:
On this date in 1949, Dan Barker was born [...]
- An Important Announcement
The Foyer • June 25, 2006
To all my readers,
As a rule, I don't discuss my personal life on my blog - I assume you all have more important things to do than read about what I had for breakfast this morning. However, an upcoming change in my life will be unavoidably affecting my writing, and I thought it fair to [...]
- Popular Delusions II: Talking to the Dead
The Observatory • June 25, 2006
One of the most widespread delusions of our society is the belief in self-proclaimed psychic mediums who assert that they can speak to the spirits of the dead. John Edward, Sylvia Browne, James van Praagh, and Allison Dubois are some of the most popular, and command considerable fame and wealth for their alleged abilities, attracting [...]
- Cleaning House
The Rotunda • June 24, 2006
I've been aware of The Raving Atheist since before I created Daylight Atheism. For a time, his was one of the few atheist blogs I read regularly. However, I gradually soured on him, and by the time I had created this blog, I had decided that on balance he was a detriment rather than a [...]
- CAP Alert Reviews I
The Rotunda • June 23, 2006
Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers and interested lurkers, I'd like to introduce you all to a group that holds a unique place in my memories: the ChildCare Action Project, or CAP for short.
I mentioned in a previous post, A Personal Journey to Atheism, that one of the last things I did before confirming myself as [...]
- Some Thoughts on Libertarianism
The Library • June 21, 2006
The Politics of Atheism posts back in April inspired a healthy debate with several regular commenters who advocate a libertarian political philosophy. One of the major claims of this philosophy, defended both on this blog and by prominent libertarians such as Timothy Sandefur, is that "taxation is theft" and that any taking of property from [...]
- Why Michael Newdow Loves America
The Rotunda • June 19, 2006
Allow me to be the first person to offer Michael Newdow a oneway ticket (coach, please) out of the United States and leave him with the words of Southern outlaw music group Lynyrd Skynyrd: "I hope Mr. Newdow will remember, a Southern man don't need him around anyhow".
—http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060204/OPINION/602040306/1034
In 2002, the "notorious atheist" Michael Newdow won [...]
- Atheism as a Positive Worldview
The Garden • June 17, 2006
In a previous post, Shattering Stereotypes, I discussed ways in which atheists can clear away the noxious stereotypes about us that are spread by religious groups and that hinder our ability to get our message across. That is the vital first step in speaking effectively on behalf of atheism. But once we have cleared that [...]
- Movie Review: The Da Vinci Code
The Library • June 15, 2006
I recently had an opportunity to see The Da Vinci Code, the movie based on Dan Brown's novel that alleges a sensational plot by the Catholic church to cover up the truth about the origins of Christianity.
First things first: Yes, I did enjoy the movie, and I do recommend it. Without a doubt, its [...]
- New on Ebon Musings: The Great Sage's Visit
The Foyer • June 14, 2006
A new essay, "The Great Sage's Visit", has been posted on Ebon Musings. The article poses the question of how people would react if some of the moral atrocities typical of the Bible and other holy books instead appeared in the writings of a human held up as a high authority on ethics.
This is an [...]
- A Modest Proposal to Humiliate Fred Phelps
The Loft • June 13, 2006
Inspired by a recent post by Pam Spaulding about the antics of Fred Phelps and his clan of lunatic hatemongers, I'd like to propose an idea for how this group could be humiliated, and possibly even stopped altogether.
The sole raison d'etre of Phelps' church is to travel around the country picketing anything and everything that [...]
- Little-Known Bible Verses II: Saving Ourselves
The Library • June 11, 2006
A major theme in modern evangelical Christianity is that humankind is completely depraved, that we are helpless to redeem ourselves by our own efforts and only by trusting in Jesus' redemptive death on the cross can we be freed from sin. But, according to the Christians' own holy text, this is not true. Scripture gives [...]
- The Power of Christ Compels You
The Rotunda • June 10, 2006
Earlier tonight I received a highly amusing e-mail whose author seemed confident that I would cease to be an atheist if I performed a magical ritual of their devising. I do not normally post feedback e-mail in full, but since this one was sent to me anonymously, I have no qualms in doing so:
From: Anonymous [...]
- Groundhog Day
The Rotunda • June 9, 2006
Despite their fervent denials of evolution, the religious right constantly shows by their own behavior that humanity is more closely related to the rest of the animal kingdom than they would like to admit. Just consider, as an example, how uncannily similar their behavior is to the common groundhog. Just as the groundhog's annual emergence [...]
- Why Do We Care?
The Garden • June 7, 2006
"I'm unsure where I really stand on this book or the ideas in it, but would really love to know your true motives for writing the review. It seems so obvious, but if you actually believed (or didn't believe) what you claim, you would spend your energy elsewhere. Why do you care?"
--from a recent feedback [...]
- Popular Delusions I: Astrology
The Observatory • June 5, 2006
I do not regularly read the New York Daily News, which could be generously described as a tabloid, but two juxtaposed stories in the May 29 edition happened to catch my attention, and not in a good way. To the right is a scan of the page (click for larger version):
As readers can see for [...]
- It's Your First Amendment Too
The Rotunda • June 3, 2006
An important fact that the modern-day religious right does not grasp is that the principle of church-state separation, which they revile so bitterly, was enacted for their benefit. It is probably not a coincidence that in Europe, where many nations still have established churches that are a legacy of earlier ages, church attendance is dropping [...]
- Fossil Fuels
The Garden • June 1, 2006
For more than a hundred years of human history, the words "the 21st century" were used as shorthand for the distant, advanced future. Utopians and futurists looked forward to an era of transformation, when knowledge and will would reshape human society almost beyond recognition. Now we are in the 21st century, and we can see [...]
