Daylight Atheism » Secular Community

New on AlterNet: The Rise of Young Atheists

Ebonmuse — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:48:26 +0000

My latest article has been posted on AlterNet, Goodbye Religion? How Godlessness Is Increasing With Each New Generation. It surveys the demographic transformation that's been taking place in American society, with rates of godlessness steadily increasing in each generation since World War II, highlights the work of some outstanding young activists who are part of this ... [visit site to read more]

A Not At All Relevant to Elevatorgate Post

Ebonmuse — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:34:55 +0000

I first saw this on Google+ and, given the flame wars that have roiled atheism lately, I thought it was worth sharing. Who knows but that it may help some people to see these issues presented in a different context.

You may have heard of Wil Wheaton (and if you don't, and you consider yourself a geek, you have some explaining to do). Well, the other day, he posted this:

When I was ... [visit site to read more]

New on AlterNet: What Atheists Actually Agree About

Ebonmuse — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:30:35 +0000

I'm pleased to announce that my second column for AlterNet, 6 Ways Atheists Can Band Together to Fight Religious Fundamentalism, has now been posted. My first column, asking why nonbelievers haven't become a political force, drew rejoinders from a lot of people saying that it's impossible ... [visit site to read more]

Atheists, Don't Be That Guy

Ebonmuse — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:46:50 +0000

When it comes to demolishing irrational beliefs, the atheist community has done a brilliant job. But when it comes to rooting out sexism in our own ranks, we have a long way left to go.

Witness the blowup that took place at a conference in Dublin last month, where Rebecca Watson of Skepchick gave a talk about the religious right's war on women... and then, that same night, was propositioned by a ... [visit site to read more]

There Are 10 Times as Many Atheists as Mormons: When Will Non-Believers Become a Political Force?

Ebonmuse — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:39:30 +0000

This essay was originally published on AlterNet.

The propagandists of the religious right shout it aloud as their battle cry: "America is a Christian nation!" And in the trivial sense that ours is a nation populated mostly by Christians, this is true. But in the sense that they mean it, that Christianity was intended to occupy a ... [visit site to read more]

Grieving Without Religion

Ebonmuse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:45:06 +0000

Recently, a long-time reader (thanks, Stacey!) sent me an e-mail with a link to this wrenching story, about a married couple chronicling the grief and anger they've been feeling since their daughter was stillborn in late 2009. By their own account, this tragedy happened in part because they put their trust in irrational thinking and home-birth woo [visit site to read more]

New on Alternet: Atheists as a Political Force

Ebonmuse — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 17:09:23 +0000

Today I'm very happy to announce that I've become a contributor to AlterNet, the award-winning online progressive news and opinion magazine. My first essay is titled "There Are 10 Times As Many Atheists as Mormons: When Will Non-Believers Become a Political Force?" Read an excerpt below, and then click through to see the rest:

visit site to read more]

Standing Up for Young Freethinkers

Ebonmuse — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:44:40 +0000

This is another story that broke while I was away in Spain, but I wanted to write about it. I'm sure it will no longer come as news, but it's definitely worth commenting on.

Greta Christina sums it up on Alternet, but in brief: A Louisiana public high school student, Damon Fowler, objected to a prayer that his school ... [visit site to read more]

Join the FFRF's Virtual Billboard Campaign

Ebonmuse — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:57:01 +0000

A few months ago, I mentioned the FFRF's "Out of the Closet" billboard campaign, an effort to put a human face on atheists with ads showing that we're normal, friendly people like everyone else. Today, I'm pleased to announce that the FFRF has expanded this project with a virtual billboard campaign on their website, allowing anyone to create a custom banner with an image and a quote of their choice. (See mine below, or see some of the visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:32:29 +0000

If I had the time, I'd write a whole post about each of these. As it is, you can probably guess what I would say:

• There are atheists in the military!

• And in high schools!

• And for why this matters, see 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]

Atheism Is Breaking Out All Over

Ebonmuse — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:45:14 +0000

Right around the time I received James A. Haught's editorial "Fading Faith", I was working on a similar post of my own. It was motivated by the brutal murder of Salman Taseer and the other signs that religious eliminationism is growing throughout the world, which drove me to wonder if there's any reason left to hope. Although visit site to read more]