Daylight Atheism » Race and Gender

The Contributions of Freethinkers: Asa Philip Randolph

Ebonmuse — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:54:45 +0000

The civil rights movement in America is often identified with Christianity. In large part this is because of the influence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a Baptist minister and worked the language and cadence of sermons into his most famous speeches - especially the famous paraphrase of the Book of Amos, "We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

But the civil rights movement wasn't organized or led solely by Christians. ... [visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:01:57 +0000

• Greta Christina posts her completed list of atheists of color.

• In early 1981, Carl Sagan sent this letter to the Explorers' Club - an international society dedicated to scientific exploration - regarding their men-only admission policy. Several months later, the first female members ... [visit site to read more]

Atheist Action Items

Ebonmuse — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:36:41 +0000

• We've all been following the news about the massive earthquake and tsunami that's devastated Japan, and I won't waste your time rehashing the details. Help on an international scale is urgently needed, and the Foundation Beyond Belief has stepped in and is raising funds for the Japanese Red Cross. They've already collected almost $10,000, but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed. Visit their visit site to read more]

The Abolition Spirit Is Undeniably Atheistic

Ebonmuse — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:21:29 +0000

Having written recently about what really caused the Confederacy to secede, I wanted to say some more about the topic. I've previously discussed the religious foundations of the CSA and how they repeatedly appealed to God and Christianity as a defense of the rightness of slavery, and I'd like to add some more ... [visit site to read more]

Encouraging Diversity in Atheism

Ebonmuse — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:51:17 +0000

I wrote last month about the importance of making non-white atheists feel welcome. I intend to continue banging that drum, and now I again have occasion to do so, thanks to this article from Religion News Service, "Atheists' Diversity Woes Have No Black-and-White Answers".

This article complements the last ... [visit site to read more]

Making Non-White Atheists Feel Welcome

Ebonmuse — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:49:52 +0000

I was reading this outstanding essay by Alom Shaha, an atheist and ex-Muslim of Bangladeshi descent, who describes what it's like to come out as a nonbeliever in a tightly-knit, intensely religious community. But as he makes clear, the social and cultural pressure on people in his situation isn't just a matter of happenstance; it formed as a defensive reaction against ... [visit site to read more]

Where, Oh, Where Are the Atheist Women?

Ebonmuse — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:41:53 +0000

Last week, I noticed a pingback on my blog from a post on Ms. Magazine by Monica Shores, "Will New Atheism Make Room for Women?"

There are some good things about this piece. I have to say that I'm glad to see the atheist movement making an impact in wider, more traditional media circles. The need to ... [visit site to read more]

Weekend Link Miscellany

Ebonmuse — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:06:06 +0000

I've got a couple of links this weekend, some atheism-related, some not:

• Lost a digital camera lately? It made me smile to find out about I Found Your Camera, a website helping to reunite lost cameras with their owners.

• After the terrible and entirely preventable deaths of three people during a "sweat lodge" ceremony last year, the New Age community in Sedona is ... [visit site to read more]

The Connection Between Religion and Slavery

Ebonmuse — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:50:46 +0000

Last year, I wrote about whether Christianity deserves the credit for abolishing slavery. I have some additional evidence on that topic I'd like to mention.

I just finished reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the autobiography of the great American abolitionist. Born a slave in antebellum Maryland, Douglass taught ... [visit site to read more]

Gender Desegregation Wednesdays

Ebonmuse — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:52:26 +0000

By Sarah Braasch

In loving memory of my baby brother, Jacob Michael Braasch (01/28/86 – 02/02/10)

Kat and I were working on an English translation of a section of the French website for the women's rights organization, Ni Putes Ni Soumises (NPNS – Neither Whores Nor Submissives). We were struggling with the word mixité. We toyed with "the mixing of the sexes". But, that sounded like one of those speed-dating events. We settled on "desegregation". But, then we ... [visit site to read more]

Why Atheists Should Be Feminists

Ebonmuse — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:51:24 +0000

I've been writing since the beginning of Daylight Atheism about the unique ways that religion harms women. Although men have also suffered innumerable harms from religious beliefs, they're not singled out, treated as an underclass uniquely deserving of condemnation, the way that women are in almost every major religion's sacred texts. That's why I wrote in posts like 2006's "visit site to read more]

Book Review: The Atheist's Creed

Ebonmuse — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:47:09 +0000

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

Summary: A scholarly survey of the atheism of dead white guys.

Much like Christopher Hitchens' The Portable Atheist, Dr. Michael Palmer's The Atheist's Creed is intended as an anthology of ... [visit site to read more]