- On Expertise
The Library • September 29, 2008
One of the most common complaints leveled against Richard Dawkins (and other atheist writers) is that his understanding of religion isn't sufficiently sophisticated - that he dismisses religion without delving into all its intricacies of doctrine. For instance, Terry Eagleton:
What, one wonders, are Dawkins's views on the epistemological differences between Aquinas and Duns Scotus? Has [...]
- The Contributions of Freethinkers: W.E.B. Du Bois
The Loft • September 27, 2008
It's often been observed that atheism, or at least outspoken atheism, seems rarer among America's black community than among American society in general. Although I don't know why that's true, I suspect that it may stem from the tendency of a minority group, especially one that's often discriminated against by wider society, to seek to [...]
- The Fading of the Church
The Rotunda • September 25, 2008
The growth of atheism is coming at the expense of religion. As freethought makes gains in society, it will inevitably start by appealing to those who are religious only by default - the people who go to church because they've never known an alternative, those who are receptive to our message and easily persuaded. And [...]
- Do You Really Believe That? (The Missing Pages)
The Observatory • September 24, 2008
Of all the major faiths in the world today, few surpass the bizarreness of Mormonism. The church was founded in the 1830s by Joseph Smith, Jr., who claimed to have been guided by an angel to a set of buried golden plates which he miraculously gained the ability to translate. These plates, supposedly, were the [...]
- It Pays to Advertise
The Foyer • September 22, 2008
I have a remarkable story to share with you all:
Last Friday, I had made plans to go out with some friends after work. At the end of the day, I debated whether to go and meet them directly or whether to go back to my apartment first and change, but I ultimately decided to go [...]
- Poetry Sunday: In Westminster Abbey
The Foyer • September 21, 2008
Today's poem was one I first read in Christopher Hitchens' The Portable Atheist. This is slightly odd since its author was not an atheist himself. However, this poem is a biting little satire of prayer, one whose point is all the more valid for having been made by a believer, and as such, it makes [...]
- A Voice in the Crowd
The Garden • September 19, 2008
In "The Bubble", I discussed how religious sects shelter their members from criticism by creating isolated worlds where only orthodox viewpoints are heard from. No doubt, this insularity creates a serious obstacle for atheists and freethinkers who want to promote the message of reason. How can we even begin to persuade people unless we can [...]
- Little-Known Bible Verses XI: Polygamy
The Library • September 17, 2008
In recent years, anti-gay bigots operating under the guise of "defending traditional marriage" have made many statements like this one:
"Since the dawn of mankind, the sacred bond of marriage has been correctly defined as a union between one woman and one man.
...Our views on marriage are shaped not only by America's laws, but by God's [...]
- Advice to Publicists: Know Your Audience
The Observatory • September 16, 2008
A publicist who obviously didn't read my site very carefully sent me this e-mail:
Subject: wow...website is giving away free psychic readings with a famous psychic
Thought your audience would be interested in this. The savvy staff from the site, wowOwow.com, is offering a refer-a-friend sweepstakes that's unlike anything else ...
wowOwow.com, whose contributors include Whoopi Goldberg, [...]
- The Bubble
The Loft • September 15, 2008
The Evangelical Outpost, a major Christian blog, last week published a positive review of Nancy Pearcey's book Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity. In it, Pearcey argues that true Christians must purge their thinking of evolution and all other secular ideas and philosophies:
Most Christians are more secular then they realize, and this must [...]
- The Rule of Uncharitable Interpretation
The Loft • September 14, 2008
Although it was written in late 2007, I only just came across this review of The God Delusion by Theodore Dalrymple of The City Journal. Most of it simply repeats the usual red herrings, which I won't bother with. However, it does mention one section of Dr. Dawkins' book that is near and dear to [...]
- The Confederacy: A Christian Theocracy
The Library • September 12, 2008
I've been perusing an issue of CSA News, the newsletter of a Kansas creationist group, written by a charming fellow named Tom Willis who believes that supporters of evolution should be denied the right to vote. Willis also says that "the facts warrant the violent expulsion of all evolutionists from civilized society" and apparently sees [...]
- The Real Enemies of Free Speech
The Rotunda • September 10, 2008
Liberty magazine, a publication of the Seventh-Day Adventist church, has recently published "Faith Attack", a polemic by Clifford Goldstein against the New Atheists. The entire article is little more than repetition of the modern equivalent of the medieval blood libel: that atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett want to take over the [...]
- The Rapture and the Fig Tree
The Loft • September 8, 2008
The formation of the state of Israel in 1948 was a tremendous excitement to apocalypse-cheerleading Christians. For the end times to occur as described in the Bible, Israel must exist, so it's no surprise that its establishment following World War II convinced many believers that the end times were on the way:
There is little doubt [...]
- Ten Questions to Ask Your Pastor
The Observatory • September 6, 2008
The New York Times recently ran a depressing article about the obstacles faced by public school science teachers. I don't envy teachers their job, as important as it is: between surly and unruly students, cash-strapped school districts, incompetent administrators, and the regimented, monotonous teaching needed to drill classes for standardized testing, they have more than [...]
- Who Says You Can't Disprove God?
The Library • September 4, 2008
By Michael Martin
(Editor's Note: Welcome to Daylight Atheism's newest guest author! Most of you, I hope, have heard of Michael Martin, a professor emeritus of philosophy at Boston University and prominent author of books and scholarly papers defending atheism and naturalism. Some of his many published works include Atheism, Morality and Meaning (2002), The Big [...]
- A Sneak Preview
The Foyer • September 3, 2008
Tomorrow, Daylight Atheism will feature a post by the site's newest guest author, who is someone you've probably all heard of before. Stay tuned!
- This World Is My Home
The Garden • September 2, 2008
A famous Christian gospel hymn titled "This World Is Not My Home" sums up how religious views of an afterlife shape believers' views of this life:
This world is not my home,
I'm just a passing through,
My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue;
The angels beckon me
from heaven's open door,
And I can't feel at home
in this world [...]
