Daylight Atheism » Evangelicalism

The Evangelist's Funnel

Ebonmuse — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:51:48 +0000

Through some odd stroke of coincidence, when I was in San Francisco earlier this year, I encountered more than the usual amount of religious nuttiness. I've already written about the woman who gets divine communications in God's actual handwriting. There were also Scientologists handing out pamphlets on a street corner, advertising something called the "Purification Rundown":

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The Necessity of Hell

Ebonmuse — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:54:38 +0000

After my earlier post on this subject, Slacktivist has written several follow-up posts about the evangelical freak-out over the news that one of their own may not believe in ... [visit site to read more]

Yes, Virginia, The Bible Does Teach Hell

Ebonmuse — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:42:16 +0000

Slacktivist, my favorite progressive Christian blog, has been reporting on how the religious right has been in a tizzy over the news that prominent evangelical pastor Rob Bell may no longer believe in eternal damnation. (I know, I know - he doesn't believe that God will torture billions of people in a lake of fire for all eternity? Horrors!)

This is a view Slacktivist himself holds, and to defend ... [visit site to read more]

The Religious Right Hates Women

Ebonmuse — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:54:59 +0000

Last month, I wrote about the awful callousness of Catholic hospitals when a woman arrives needing an emergency abortion. As long as there's a fetal heartbeat, the clergy-run ethics committees of these hospitals often deny doctors permission to operate, even if the woman is hemorrhaging and dying before their eyes. Some doctors end up struggling desperately to keep their patient alive until the fetus ... [visit site to read more]

Book Review: Trusting Doubt

Ebonmuse — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:58:24 +0000

(Author's Note: The following review was solicited and is written in accordance with this site's policy for such reviews.)

Summary: An outstanding analysis of the flaws of evangelical Christianity, written from an insider's perspective by a former believer. My only complaint is that I wish she'd provided more information about what the next step is!

Although there are lots of atheist books that present a compelling case for ... [visit site to read more]

The Case for a Creator: Spiritual Wisdom

Ebonmuse — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:39:21 +0000

The Case for a Creator, Closing Thoughts

After spending over a year on this project, we've come to the end of The Case for a Creator. Before bringing this series to a close, I have some closing thoughts on the overall message and tactics of the book.

First: Although Lee Strobel tries to pass Case off as a dispassionate examination of scientific findings that just happen to support the existence of an intelligent designer, the obvious truth is that it's a Christian ... [visit site to read more]

How Much Good Do Religious Charities Really Do?

Ebonmuse — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:43:52 +0000

I just finished reading Half the Sky, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book on what we can do to improve the status of women worldwide. One of the book's major arguments is that, despite their opposition to abortion and contraception, religious groups often do more good than secular liberals give them credit for:

Religious conservatives... have also saved lives in vast numbers by underwriting and ... [visit site to read more]

An Atheist at Liberty University, Part IV

Ebonmuse — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:42:06 +0000

Our next stop was the Liberty campus bookstore. It was run by Barnes & Noble, and it looked pretty much like any other campus bookstore. I was surprised by the range of books available there, some of which I would have expected to be verboten on campus - from Neil Gaiman's American Gods to Jeff Sharlet's The Family, as well as books on global warming and dream interpretation. That said, there were also four or five whole racks of shelves, a good half of the store, devoted to ... [visit site to read more]

An Atheist at Liberty University, Part III

Ebonmuse — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:52:49 +0000

When the church service let out, my friends and I toured several other buildings on campus. We stopped by the dorms, which are strictly gender-segregated:

I wonder what mindset lies behind this. Is it because the trustees of Liberty believe it's indecent for men and women to mingle in public? Then why ... [visit site to read more]

An Atheist at Liberty University, Part II

Ebonmuse — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:24:54 +0000

(See Part I here.)

When the band finished their set, they departed and the pastor took the stage. He was relatively young, probably not much older than most members of the audience, and dressed in a plain shirt and jeans. His name, displayed on the giant screens overhead, was Johnnie Moore - a self-conscious use of the ... [visit site to read more]

An Atheist at Liberty University

Ebonmuse — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:48:45 +0000

If you noticed that Daylight Atheism was quieter than usual this past weekend, you were right - I was out of town and had limited internet access. But there was a good reason for my absence: I was on a secret mission to penetrate into the very heart of the Bible Belt. Namely, I was storming the gates of Liberty University, the evangelical Christian college founded by Jerry Falwell, infamous for banning the College Democrats from campus and for instantly expelling any student found to be gay. ... [visit site to read more]

Bloody-Handed Evangelicals

Ebonmuse — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:44:00 +0000

In the U.S., the cause of gay and lesbian rights has made major advances in the last few decades. Anti-discrimination laws are in wide effect, including a recently passed federal hate-crime law; marriage equality is already an established reality in several states; and despite setbacks, the now overwhelming tolerance and acceptance of gays and lesbians among younger generations heralds further ... [visit site to read more]