Yesterday’s post of a Dan Savage video has been unusually popular and continues to get hits so let me add a couple follow up links on matters of interest related to it, for all those trafficking through on the video’s account: For one, those interested in the controversy which lies in the background of the [...]...I am learning that there are a lot of people out there who are surprisingly willful in believing whatever they want and who actively resist information or ideas that they highly suspect (or outright know) would have the power to disabuse them of their errors. We all probably do this to one extent or another [...]...
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"A new University of British Columbia study finds that analytic thinking can decrease religious belief, even in devout believers.[...]Researchers used problem-solving tasks and subtle experimental priming – including showing participants Rodin’s sc...
: Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 29, 2012 The Reason Religion Persists : Fear of Death Labels : Religion The Reason Religion Persists : Fear of Death 2012-04-29T09:25:00-05:00 vjack Religion| Comments Tweet Paul Waldman hits the nail on the head in a recent article in The American Prospect when he provides this answer to the question of why religion has persisted even as science and reason have made it less : necessary Why Death , of course . Which helps explain why religion has such staying . power Drawing on data from a recent survey of 30 countries conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago , Waldman notes that religious belief is declining across much of the world at a very slow rate . You have
If you haven’t watched Neil’s disappointing and rather insulting Big Think video, I recommend you do; it’ll demonstrate what I feel is his intellectual cowardliness in regard to the fundamental issue of his belief. While he’s being vetted as Carl Sagan’s spiritual successor, Neil lacks this man’s intellectual courage, particularly when it comes to fighting [...]
Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 24, 2012 Big Tent Atheism Labels : Atheist Movement Big Tent Atheism 2012-04-24T05:14:00-05:00 vjack Atheist Movement| Comments Tweet Sarah Robinson AlterNet wrote an interesting article , 6 People You Need to Start a Revolution that is worth a read . Her argument is no movement seeking meaningful change can hope to succeed without effectively utilizing diversity . I agree completely , and this is part of why I have repeatedly called for big tent atheism i.e . a recognition that the atheist movement needs all kinds of people performing different roles While Robinson is writing about Occupy Wall Street and the progressive 99 movement , much of what she says may be relevant for the atheist
Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 20, 2012 The Atheist Movement Needs a Calendar Labels : Atheist Movement The Atheist Movement Needs a Calendar 2012-04-20T06:39:00-05:00 vjack Atheist Movement| Comments Tweet Yesterday was National Ask an Atheist Day in the U.S . No , it isn't a cool new national holiday it is an effort to raise awareness from the Secular Student Alliance But here's the thing I didn't find out about it until late yesterday afternoon . What would I have done if I had known it was coming ahead of time I'm not sure , but I could have done . something It has been my observation for some time now that we in the atheist community are lousy at promoting ourselves , especially when it comes to upcoming events .
What happens when your privileged place in society begins to erode? Well, like a spoiled child, you relentlessly accuse others of being mean bullies for not letting them have their way. It takes time to become an adult, but expecting religion to mature is unrealistic. Take Matt Barber: He’s accusing secularists of being “bullies”, and [...]
As many of you may know, I’m in the process of moving from Montreal to Calgary, and because these two cities are so crazy far apart, the actual move itself is going to take several days. That means posting and podcasts are going to slow down a bit until I’m settled in my new home. [...]
Despite the fact the whole world makes fun of Ray Comfort and his lapdog Kirk Cameron over their “croc-o-duck” idea, it seems though the pair has decided this argument still holds water. If this is news to you, let me summarize the “theory”: because animals evolve slowly over time, Ray believes the process of transmutation [...]There’s so much that’s sad with this video it’s hard to pinpoint which part stands out, so instead I chose the quotes I felt best represent her special brand of brainwashing: “Me wearing Hijab is my relationship between me and Allah” It’s always a good sign when your deity has an inherent distrust of the [...]Actually, the odds of the Titanic hitting that iceberg were astronomically small; as it turns out, it was a series of poor decisions by the crew that led to the disaster. Had the ship actually crashed head on into the iceberg, it would have survived the impact. Ironically, it was their attempt to navigate around [...]
This week, Jeff Jones joins me after a 2 year absence to have a super disjointed Podstravaganza, clocking it at 2 hours! We cover everything from Freddie Mercury’s sexy mustache to how science fiction changes our future. Come and get your fix!
What do you do when Kirk Cameron is making accusations that he can’t substantiate? Why, you ridicule him, of course!
I love these kinds of stories. They help give courage to young people who want to fight for what they believe in. Nahkoura Mahnassi has taken a stand: her school is planning on holding their graduating ceremony in the controversial New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. You might remember that its pastor, Eddie Long, had been [...]
You hear that fellas? You’re the “high priest” of the household, which means you can do whatever the fuck you want. Wow, what a great deal, and all because I have a penis! If you’re a misogynistic, gullible idiot who would rather give your money to a bunch of scammers than pay your bills and [...]
. Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 9, 2012 Prof . Peter Boghossian on Faith Labels : Atheist Heroes Education Prof . Peter Boghossian on Faith 2012-04-09T05:07:00-05:00 vjack Atheist Heroes|Education| Comments Tweet The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science linked to an interview Georgia Perry The Portland Mercury did with Portland State University philosophy professor , Peter Boghossian After reading , I have to admit that I am quite jealous of the academic freedom Dr . Boghossian enjoys at Portland State . Granted , he's in Oregon and I'm in Mississippi , but it is so refreshing to hear that he can say what he's been saying and keep his . job According to Perry , Dr . Boghossian is well known around campus
. Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 8, 2012 Private Religious Beliefs vs . Public Expressions of Religious Beliefs Labels : Religion Private Religious Beliefs vs . Public Expressions of Religious Beliefs 2012-04-08T09:43:00-05:00 vjack Religion| Comments Tweet I'd never single out some random person and mock them for their private beliefs . It would be cruel to do so , and would likely accomplish nothing . Besides , I'd have no way of knowing what their private beliefs were in the first place . However , public beliefs are a somewhat different matter . Someone who introduces his or her beliefs into the public arena is asking for attention . In these cases , a response may be appropriate . Suppose a stranger approaches me
: Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 7, 2012 New Atheist Holidays : Zombie Jesus Weekend Labels : Atheist Movement New Atheist Holidays : Zombie Jesus Weekend 2012-04-07T06:04:00-05:00 vjack Atheist Movement| Comments Tweet I regularly see posts in the atheist blogosphere suggesting new atheist-friendly holidays e.g . Darwin Day or co-opting existing holidays from the religious e.g . celebrating winter solstice in place of Christmas I've never been particularly excited about holidays except for Halloween and I think it is because I've rejected most of the traditions in which I was raised . But I would like to throw my hat into this ring anyway by suggesting another holiday for atheists to co-opt from the religious : Zombie
How to spot a poorly written article about atheism. (1) The words “fundamentalist” or “militant” are used in the article without any real justification (i.e., do these words have the same meaning for our religious counter-parts, I wonder) (2) “Atheistic” regimes are blamed for the worst human rights offenses (3) We’re told that secularism is [...]
This week, David Bonney, who is looking for sponsorship on his Kickstarter idea, “Atheist Shoes“, joins me to talk about his cool new company, and I try to answer a difficult question from a fan asking about her future.
Honestly, this is a silly question. It would be more accurate to ask “can we still be a moral society despite religion’s influence?” Let’s remember for a moment the world is still made a more miserable place because of sectarian infighting. How many regions of the world are currently engaged in immoral acts of violence [...]
Oh religious people: you can never be sure if they love religion or secretly despise it. Why else would they resort to calling our free-thought movement “a religion” if not to criticize it? Obviously they recognize the fact that by definition, a religion is a creepy organization intent on pushing through their wacky agenda. While [...]
This week, high school student Lincoln Rush joins me for a class project focusing on my “career” as a podcaster. I try to answer his 23 questions and make sense of what it is I do. And so, because of the egotistical scope of the show, it’s for members only. Luckily, I’m weaning you off [...]
Isn’t it fun to pretend to be educated? All you need is a suite, a power-point presentation and a few hundred idiots willing to give you money as you try and merge your fantasy bullshit with reality. The key to faking it is simply to make bold assertions, and not to be afraid of the [...]
Home About Comment Policy Disclosure Advertising Inquiries Contact skip to main skip to sidebar April 3, 2012 Atheists Sought for Online Research Labels : Science Atheists Sought for Online Research 2012-04-03T05:36:00-05:00 vjack Science| Comments Tweet I wholeheartedly support efforts to include atheists in social science research . I recognize that researchers often have difficulty finding sufficient numbers of atheists to include in their studies , so I am happy to help get the word out when I . can I was recently contacted by a master's student in sociology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs . He's looking for a diverse sample to complete a brief online questionnaire . He has pulled together a list of churches , mosques , temples , and assorted religious centers to contact