• Fight Evil

    Updated: 2012-12-31 16:07:06
    (via LRA)

  • Had A Bad Year?

    Updated: 2012-12-31 14:17:41
    Sometimes you have to let go before you can move on.

  • New Year’s Goblin

    Updated: 2012-12-31 13:01:00
    New Year's Goblin © Glendon MellowHappy New Year to all my friends, families and supporters of my art and The Flying Trilobite blog! Next year, may all your goblins be small-ish and cheery.- - - - - - - -Original artwork on The Flying Trilobite © to ...

  • Atheist Revolution's Most Read Posts of 2012

    Updated: 2012-12-31 12:19:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 31, 2012 Atheist Revolution's Most Read Posts of 2012 Keyboard Photo credit : cheetah100 Based on the number of pageviews accrued , these were the 10 most visited posts at Atheist Revolution during 2012 : Why I Am An Atheist Atheist or Agnostic I'm Both Bible Commands Christians to Kill Nonbelievers How to Promote Atheism With Almost No Effort Atheism 101 : A Reading List As Catholic Child Rape Details Emerge in Court , What Are Catholics Waiting For Existence of Atheists Offends Christians Real Christians Do Not Have Christmas Trees Atheists , We Are Costing People Eternal Life Distinguishing Between Criticism and Attacks It is noteworthy that only half of

  • What is Argument Mapping?

    Updated: 2012-12-31 09:26:22
    You can download a PDF ebook of this introduction to argument mapping here: What is Argument Mapping? Introduction Argument maps are visual representations of arguments to help people better understand them. A meta-analysis of various studies found that classes with lots of argument map practice are the most effective type of critical thinking class to [...]

  • An Atheist Pours His Heart Out on YouTube

    Updated: 2012-12-31 02:00:42
    This video by XandarsMeteor is depressing at hell but hard to stop watching. (It's gotta be the voice.)Among other things, he talks about why religious explanations for the problems in the world don't do us justice and why a world without God just makes more sense.

  • ON HOLIDAY

    Updated: 2012-12-30 23:28:00
                                              ...

  • Atheists in Chicago Package More Than 18,000 lbs of Fruit

    Updated: 2012-12-30 22:00:45
    Last week, on the day after Christmas, more than 30 members of Secular Events in Chicago (including Jessica and me from this site) went to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help with whatever they needed us to do.Turns out they wanted us to sort good fruit from bad fruit and box up the good stuff so they could ship it to local food pantries across the city.

  • A problem with logic

    Updated: 2012-12-30 01:07:37
    Credit xkcd Sometimes logic lays traps for us

  • String of atheism signs vandalized, no real action taken by officials

    Updated: 2012-12-29 22:31:29
    I know many of you out there think making holiday displays and fighting to have them displayed is a waste of time, but with the recent strings of vandalism against our property, not to mention the ridiculous reasons given by city officials for rejecting these banners helps highlight the fact that atheists are still a [...]

  • Jesus and Horus

    Updated: 2012-12-29 21:21:44
    Our Daily Train | By Jeremy StyronWhile I realize a link between Jesus and Horus has been hotly debated for years and is still a point of contention, the list of similarities among myths in ancient Egypt, Greece and elsewhere to Christianity are almost too numerous to list. According to writer Joseph Campbell, the pattern, known as a monomyth, goes something like [...]

  • Jesus Can Save You! But I Hope He Doesn’t…

    Updated: 2012-12-29 21:00:41
    Upton Sinclair, in his book I, Candidate for Governor, says the line: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."That's the first thing I thought of, anyway, when I saw this cartoon from nakedpastor:

  • An Aphorism

    Updated: 2012-12-29 17:25:46
    The only way to beat the system is to master the system; but as you master the system, the system masters you.

  • When We Oppose Science

    Updated: 2012-12-29 16:22:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 29, 2012 When We Oppose Science Ostrich Photo credit : LenaCorazon Many evangelical fundamentalist Christians are opposed to science because science provides compelling evidence that their superstitious worldview is inaccurate . Rather than modifying their worldview to bring it closer to reality , they dismiss science . As a result , we preach abstinence to our children , fight a war on drugs that is as ineffective as it is costly , and willingly surrender one of the most promising scientific finds in decades the promise of stem cell . research It may be uncomfortable to wrestle with the challenges before us . We may wish that climate change is a hoax or that

  • Obstacles to Atheist Activism: Infighting

    Updated: 2012-12-28 11:37:00
    : Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 28, 2012 Obstacles to Atheist Activism : Infighting There is going to be some amount of internal conflict i.e . infighting in any large group , and the atheist community is certainly no exception . Some of us may be more rational than religious believers on the question of gods , but there is nothing like infighting to expose the flawed human nature we share with the religious . While a certain amount of internal disagreement , debate , and conflict can be healthy in a group or community , excessive infighting may be detrimental . This is particularly evident when the various parties involved in a disagreement stop listening to one another and regress to

  • Claims I Rejected in 2012

    Updated: 2012-12-27 12:16:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 27, 2012 Claims I Rejected in 2012 If claims can be questioned even those that are religious in nature , perhaps other ridiculous claims can be questioned , challenged , and even rejected . By criticizing President Obama , you are just helping the Republicans out to destroy him . You should be nicer to Christians on your blog because mocking them is only going to make them hate atheists more . If you aren't absolutely convinced that it is wrong for a man to ask a women back to his room for coffee in an elevator , you are a misogynist . Forming third parties or activist movements is a waste of time . We should just work within the existing system or wait for

  • Jesus to Send Christmas Tornadoes

    Updated: 2012-12-25 12:30:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 25, 2012 Jesus to Send Christmas Tornadoes If the weather forecast for this area is to be believed , this part of the country could be in for some nasty weather today . Severe thunderstorms , hail , and tornados are being predicted throughout the area . Why they've even been telling people to remove all outdoor holiday decorations so they do not end up being projectiles At least I don't have to worry about . that I'll never understand why one of the most thoroughly Christian parts of the U.S . has some of the worst weather . Even if Pat Robertson is correct that his god is determined to destroy New Orleans due to sin , one would think that his god could aim a

  • Secular Alternatives to Christmas

    Updated: 2012-12-23 14:30:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 23, 2012 Secular Alternatives to Christmas One of the things I find most tiring about this time of year is the shock , dismay , and even condemnation I face every time someone assumes that I celebrate Christmas and I have to explain that I do not . Given the large numbers of Christians I encounter online insisting that atheists should not be allowed to celebrate Christmas , one might think that at least they would be thrilled when I inform them that I do not celebrate it in any way . Even if this information might appease a few , it seems to upset many more . Worse still are the reactions of some atheists to hearing that one of their own does not celebrate

  • I Have Problems and Might Not Be Reincarnated as a Tree

    Updated: 2012-12-22 16:29:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 22, 2012 I Have Problems and Might Not Be Reincarnated as a Tree I could tell this email was going to be a good one because the subject field asked , Do you have problems Yes . Yes , I do . Thank you for asking . I have many problems , and while I do not want to bore you with them , I would feel remiss in failing to explain that I'm struggling with the worst cold I've had in some time . As I write this , my feverish mind is trying to cope with entirely too much cough syrup . I'm not entirely sure whether I am awake or still having those bizarre dreams that kept me up half the night . I think I must be dreaming , as I'm not sure how else I could feel too hot and

  • Atheist Divide Over Christmas is Trivial

    Updated: 2012-12-21 12:50:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 21, 2012 Atheist Divide Over Christmas is Trivial The mainstream news media in the U.S . really seems to love conflict and is not above attempting to amplify trivial disagreements to sell their conflict narrative . For the latest example , we turn to Dan Merica's post on CNN's Belief Blog , Christmas exposes atheist divide on dealing with religion I realize that you and I can read Merica's post and realize that the conflict it tries to create is little more than a a difference in preferred tactics . What worries me is that we are not his intended audience . When I try to imagine the opinion the average reader might form after reading this article , I have to

  • Real Christians Do Not Have Christmas Trees

    Updated: 2012-12-21 06:54:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 21, 2012 Real Christians Do Not Have Christmas Trees For those of us living in the U.S . we are told that the winter holidays are supposed to be a time for coming together and focusing on our similarities rather than our differences . I'd like to do that by sharing one of the things I have in common with real Christians . You see , I do not erect and decorate any sort of tree each year . I do not do so because I regard the practice as silly , wasteful , and have no particular emotional attachment to it . Real Christians do not engage in the practice either , as their bible frowns on this pagan practice Jeremiah 10:1-25 NIV that predated the time in which Jesus

  • Merry Kitzmas!

    Updated: 2012-12-20 19:06:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 20, 2012 Merry Kitzmas As Panda's Thumb reminds us , today December 20 is Kitzmas , the anniversary of the Kitzmiller v . Dover decision . In case you need a reminder , Kitzmiller was the 2005 case out of Pennsylvania in which teaching intelligent design in public schools was found to be unconstitutional . You can find detailed information about the case , including the full decision and even trial transcripts , at Talk Origins Finally , there's something worth celebrating this time of year And while we're on the subject of science education , please join me in thanking the Orleans Parish school board for their recent decision to ban textbooks that teach

  • Holiday Reading for Atheists

    Updated: 2012-12-20 12:19:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 20, 2012 Holiday Reading for Atheists I suspect I am not alone in having a bit of extra free time around the holidays . One of the things I almost always try to do with this extra time is get started on a new book . Naturally , this leads me to think about picking up a book or two I've been wanting to read for awhile . Here are a few I'm planning to pick up this : year Nonbeliever Nation : The Rise of Secular Americans In Freedom We Trust : An Atheist Guide to Religious Liberty The Age of Doubt : Tracing the Roots of Our Religious Uncertainty The Young Atheist's Survival Guide : Helping Secular Students Thrive Even if I don't end up with time to read them all

  • Obstacles to Atheist Activism: Myopia

    Updated: 2012-12-19 12:52:00
    : Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 19, 2012 Obstacles to Atheist Activism : Myopia You can find the introduction to this series . here Myopia refers to nearsightedness , but I am using it as sort of a metaphorical nearsightedness here . One important obstacle to atheist activism is our unwillingness to look beyond our own personal experience . This can be a problem in many other areas but I am focusing here on atheist . activism So how exactly does our difficulty in looking past our personal experience adversely affect atheist activism I have written previously about how this has interfered with our ability to build a sense of community among atheists and has resulted in us attacking ideas with

  • The Atheist Census Needs You

    Updated: 2012-12-19 11:05:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 19, 2012 The Atheist Census Needs You Atheist Alliance International brings us the atheist census a project designed to collect some basic demographic data on atheists , humanists , freethinkers , and other non-religious individuals around the world with Internet access . Aggregate data are available but will only be useful if many more people complete the census . If you have not already done so , you can be counted here It took me no more than one . minute Once you have completed the census , please join me in helping to spread the word to others . Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Posted by vjack at 5:05 AM Email This BlogThis Share to Twitter Share to Facebook

  • President Obama Continues to Alienate Atheists

    Updated: 2012-12-18 11:06:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 18, 2012 President Obama Continues to Alienate Atheists After he insisted on quoting the Christian bible at the end of one address , President Obama laid the religion on even thicker in his speech from Newtown , Connecticut In doing so , he again managed to alienate those of us who do not believe in gods and those of us who , regardless of our religious beliefs , are not interested in hearing about his . At times like these , we need a leader not a . pastor-in-chief John Reason Being asks whether every single one of the victims , victims' families , and first responders were religious . If not , why did President Obama insist on all the Christianspeak Did it

  • Extreme Weather and End Times Prophecy

    Updated: 2012-12-17 20:10:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 17, 2012 Extreme Weather and End Times Prophecy According to CNN the results of a poll released last week show that more than a third of those surveyed believe that the extreme weather we have seen in the U.S . this year is evidence that we are approaching the end times described in the Christian bible . The survey , conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute found that most respondents 59 attribute severe weather to climate change . But as CNN reported , just over a third 36 are convinced that it is evidence of some sort of biblical prophecy . I wonder how many of these same people have laughed at those who claim that the end of the world is happening

  • One Month in Religion

    Updated: 2012-12-17 13:03:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 17, 2012 One Month in Religion This video shows just some of the ways in which religion contributed to the world from November to December 2012. It was brought to my attention by the author , and he says he's considering making it the first in an ongoing series to document the harm religion is causing . I think this is an excellent idea , and I hope he gets enough interest to go forward with the . series Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Posted by vjack at 7:03 AM Email This BlogThis Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Labels : Religion One Month in Religion 2012-12-17T07:03:00-06:00 vjack Religion| Older Post Home Subscribe to : Post Comments Atom LinkWithin

  • In Wake of Tragedy, Believers Seeking Gods

    Updated: 2012-12-16 13:34:00
    , Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 16, 2012 In Wake of Tragedy , Believers Seeking Gods D an Gilgoff and Eric Marrapodi , co-editors of CNN's Belief Blog , wrote an aptly titled post yesterday about the mass murder in Connecticut : Massacre of children leaves many asking , Where's God It makes perfect sense to me that religious believers would ask this question following such a tragedy . And even though I arrive at a very different answer than many of them will , I think it is an appropriate question to . ask Gilgoff and Marrapodi , note From the first moments after Friday’s massacre , which also left six adults and the shooter dead , religious leaders were among the first people to whom

  • The Christian Extremist Version of the Tragedy in Connecticut

    Updated: 2012-12-15 15:53:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 15, 2012 The Christian Extremist Version of the Tragedy in Connecticut When you prevent public school employees from reading Christian prayers over the PA system each day to our children , many of whom are not Christian , you invite mass murder . At least , this seems to be the argument a few Christian extremists are making in the aftermath of the tragedy in Connecticut . Here is the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer explaining how it : works It is tempting to tell oneself , Yeah , but that's Bryan Fischer . Nobody even listens to him . I think we know better . But just in case this thought did run through your mind , here's former governor and

  • Michael Shermer is Latest to Be Demonized

    Updated: 2012-12-14 12:37:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 14, 2012 Michael Shermer is Latest to Be Demonized Michael Shermer is a prominent atheist and skeptic who has done as much as anyone to make the modern skeptic movement what it is today . A former fundamentalist Christian , Shermer outgrew his faith during graduate school . He founded the Skeptics Society , serves as Editor and Chief of Skeptic writes a column in Scientific American and co-hosted a television series called Exploring the Unknown Here are a few of the books written by Michael Shermer currently sitting on my bookshelf or in my Kindle The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce

  • Atheism and Nonconformity

    Updated: 2012-12-13 12:45:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 13, 2012 Atheism and Nonconformity Are atheists living in the U.S . where atheism entails a certain willingness to go against the grain , any more likely to be nonconformist in other aspects of their lives than Christians I find this an intriguing question . While it makes sense to me that this would be the case and while my limited personal experience lends support , I do not have any empirical basis for suggesting that such a claim is likely to be true . What do you think are atheists more likely than Christians to be nonconformist in other areas of their lives I will admit that I am interested in this question for reasons other than pure intellectual

  • Political Correctness: Shielding Religious Belief From Criticism

    Updated: 2012-12-12 10:39:00
    : Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 12, 2012 Political Correctness : Shielding Religious Belief From Criticism Back in 2005, I wrote a three-part series on political correctness and religion I started by taking a look at how political correctness PC is usually defined , how it flourished in academia , and how it initially marginalized social conservatives . I noted how the PC movement would come to include religious belief as a component of culture greatly restricting the degree to which it was permissible to criticize one's religious beliefs . I then considered some of the implications of this inclusion suggesting that shielding religious belief from criticism was detrimental to our . progress

  • The Condescending Nature of Proselytizing

    Updated: 2012-12-11 11:19:00
    Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism Pages About Disclosure Privacy Advertising Contact December 11, 2012 The Condescending Nature of Proselytizing When it comes to things that annoy atheists , at least those that annoy this atheist , religious proselytizing ranks toward the top . And yet , I've had a difficult time putting my finger on exactly what it is about proselytizing that I find so annoying I do not like anybody knocking on my door in the first place , but opening the door to find someone selling something is not quite as bad as finding someone who wants to rot my mind . I've generally thought that the reason I'm so annoyed by proselytizing is that it amounts to peddling delusion , but another atheist blogger has helped me realize that there is a

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