Atheism
Category archives for Atheism
Losing Miller’s God
Posted by Greg Laden on April 14, 2009 August Berkshire is the vice president of Atheist Alliance International, past president of Minnesota Atheists and member of the board of Camp Quest of Minnesota. He was president of Minnesota Atheists for a long time and is one of the prime movers in the organized “nice guy” atheist movement. August attended a talk here in…
The Ethical Atheist Ten Commandments
Posted by Greg Laden on April 10, 2009 Thou SHALT NOT believe all thou art told. Thou SHALT seek knowledge and truth constantly. Thou SHALT educate thy fellow man in the Laws of Science. Thou SHALT NOT forget the atrocities committed in the name of god. Thou SHALT leave valuable contributions for future generations. Thou SHALT live in peace with thy fellow man.…
Ladies: What to do when you discover he’s an atheist?
Posted by Greg Laden on April 2, 2009 Hat tip Sandwalk
America Losing Religion – And Morality?
Posted by Greg Laden on March 14, 2009 On this week’s show we’re going to try something different. We’ll have a discussion between an atheist and a Christian about the current state of morality in this country. Is the decline of religion really leading to a loss of moral values, as the Religious Right claims? Is America going to hell in a handbasket?…
The Controversy of Richard Dawkins. Rather routine, don’t you think?
Posted by Greg Laden on March 6, 2009 I had been having thoughts regarding the larger context of Richard Dawkins‘ visit to the University of Minnesota (in which he gave this talk), and the socio-political context of this visit, but had not decided if I would write about them. Then I read, at Pharyngula (the other Minnesota scienceblogs.com blog – you probably have…
Amazonian tribe turns missionary into atheist
Posted by Greg Laden on March 4, 2009 A RIVETING and hugely satisfying report on BBC Radio 4 today tells the story of a missionary who was charged by an American missionary group with taking the Gospel to the little understood Pirahãs tribe in the Amazon – only to realise how ridiculous his faith in Christianity was. … read about it at The…
The One True Editor
Posted by Greg Laden on March 3, 2009 Emacs is exactly like a religion. A western religion, at least, operates by testing the faith of its participants. The god coldly allows babies to die of unexplained illnesses, violence to affect the innocent, wars to break out, natural disasters to ruin everything. That we mortals have faith that this is a loving and intelligent,…
How to Tell the Difference Between Science and Bunk. Massimo Pigliucci on Atheists Talk
Posted by Greg Laden on February 28, 2009 … Being interviewed by ME! (So don’t expect this to go well!!!!) Sunday March 1, 2009 Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, of the Stonybrook Institute in New York, is a biologist and a philosopher who has published about a hundred technical papers and several books on evolutionary biology. He is a fellow of the American Association for…
Tickets to Dawkins
Posted by Greg Laden on February 27, 2009 Minnesotans: Get your tickets to Dawkins by joining Minnesota Atheists. Details here.
The Atheist’s Way with Eric Maisel
Posted by Greg Laden on February 21, 2009 Minnesota Atheists’ “Atheists Talk” radio show. Sunday February 22, 2009, 9-10 a.m. Central Time The Atheist’s Way, Eric Maisel, Author, explains how atheists and humanists adjust to a life without religion. Atheists who grew up without religion understand how to lead rich, ethical and fulfilling lives without religion. Many atheists who have discarded religion are…
Stop Denying The Existence of the Divine Creator
Posted by Greg Laden on February 19, 2009 In Washington. That’s the idea of newly proposed ballot measure. This measure would prohibit state use of public money or lands for anything that denies or attempts to refute the existence of a supreme ruler of the universe, including textbooks, instruction or research. The Supreme Being. Stop Denying Him/Her.
Creationism and Evolution in the Classroom
Posted by Greg Laden on February 16, 2009 So, yesterday Afternoon, there was a meeting of the Minnesota Atheists that included a one hour panel discussion of evolution, creationism, science education, and so on. The panel was moderated by Lynn Fellman, and included (in order from right to left as the audience gazed on) Randy Moore, Sehoya Cotner, Jane Phillips, Greg Laden, and…
Darwin Year Panel Discussion, Sunday in the Twin Cities
Posted by Greg Laden on February 14, 2009 Feb 15 – Darwin Year Panel Discussion Featuring Myers, Laden, Moore, Cotner and Phillips 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origins of Species. In honor of this, we have assembled a distinguished panel of scientists to give us their thoughts…
Darwin’s Birthday Gallup Poll on “Belief in Evolution”
Posted by Greg Laden on February 13, 2009 The Gallup Poll is not surprising in any of its results but it is, of course, alarming and interesting. Here’s a summary. On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, a new Gallup Poll shows that only 39% of Americans say they “believe in the theory of evolution,” while a quarter say…
American Religious Preference: Change over time
Posted by Greg Laden on February 10, 2009 One of the really useful features of the new edition of Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction by Genie Scott is the coverage of the socio-cultural context of the so called “debate” between Creationists and Evolutionary Biologists. This tidbit is an example: The obvious patterns are interesting. There is a modest drop in overall religiousity over…
Texas Teacher suspended for being “Liberal” and an “atheist”
Posted by Greg Laden on February 9, 2009 For the past few days I have been in contact with Mr. Richard Mullens a school teacher in Brookeland Tx. Brookeland Tx, is an incredibly “Conservative” area of Texas, and only 16 miles up the road from Jasper Tx. the scene of several incidents of racial violence and murder. Mullens has been the victim of…
US News and World Reports Screws The Pooch
Posted by Greg Laden on February 4, 2009 With an absurd opinion piece by Henry Morris III. You can’t comment on the piece, so I’ll just tel lyou that it is in the current web edition of the paper and you can go dig it up if you want. (Blog policy: No logic, no links. Unless I feel like it.) Henry Morris is…
Don’t pray for me Great Britain
Posted by Greg Laden on February 3, 2009 … or Argentina or Nurse Ratchet. In our allegedly multicultural society, there is one religious group which is apparently not to be afforded equal respect, let alone treated for what it embodies – the foundational creed of this nation. That group is Britain’s Christians. Somerset community nurse and committed Christian Caroline Petrie has been suspended…
Ricky Gervais Becomes An Atheist
Posted by Greg Laden on January 29, 2009 And Leonard Plinth Garnell Presents …. (Only kidding. Skip the first 43 seconds if you can….) Hat Tip Sandwalk.
Atheist Talk Radio
Posted by Greg Laden on January 28, 2009 Science is moving onto the internet. Collection of data, collaboration between researchers, communication and critique of results, teaching and learning–all are increasingly being done online. ScienceOnline, held January 16 – 18 in 2009, is a conference dedicated to discussing the intersection of science and online technologies. Bora Zivkovic, one of the founders and organizers of…
What Would an Atheist Linux Distro Look Like?
Posted by Greg Laden on January 25, 2009 Such a thing may be redundant, what with “Scientific Linux” and all. But I ask the question seriously. There is a fair amount of religious gobbledygook mixed in with Linux and IT generally, and a Distro like Godlessbuntu might be just the trick. Where is the religion in Linux now? Well, there’s Larry Wall, inventor…
Secular Coalition for America on AM 950
Posted by Greg Laden on December 20, 2008 Minnesota Atheists’ “Atheists Talk” radio show. Sunday, December 21, 2008, 9-10 a.m. Central Time Secular Coalition for America: 2008 & 2009 With Democrats soon to be in control of both the U.S. Congress and the Presidency, can we afford to relax our vigilance regarding Separation of State and Church? Not hardly. The presidential candidates fell…
Hmmm … A day without Atheists. Not a bad idea, you ignorant bit…
Posted by Greg Laden on December 19, 2008 … This is why we fight the war on Christmas. Watch. Then lock and load, baby. Hat tip Doc
Hard Core Atheist Checklist
Posted by Greg Laden on December 17, 2008 My hardcore atheist checklist is below the fold. I award myself forty one points, including extra points for doing things to missionaries and such.
Aha! Maggie Ardiente of the American Humanist Association!
Posted by Greg Laden on December 13, 2008 Minnesota Atheists’ “Atheists Talk” radio show. Sunday, December 14, 2008, 9-10 a.m. Central Time AHA: Winter Solstice, Bus Advertising, $1 Million Matching Grant Maggie Ardiente of the American Humanist Association (AHA) joins us to discuss the Winter Solstice, AHA’s advertising campaign on buses in Washington D.C., and the $1,000,000 Louis Appignani matching grant. Don’t forget…
Australian Schools to offer new take on god
Posted by Greg Laden on December 13, 2008 Imagine the following multiple choice question in a primary education setting: God … a) is all powerful; b) is everywhere; c) loves me and my kitten; d) is vengeful; e) does not appear to exist. And the answer is ….
Do you live in Minnesota?
Posted by Greg Laden on December 10, 2008 If not, ignore this blog post.
WOC Dispatch: Atheists Strike Hard in Illinois
Posted by Greg Laden on December 8, 2008 Remember the Atheist Sign that ruined everything for everybody up in Washington State? Well, now those damn free thinkers are going to impose their freedom of speech on the god fearing (or should that be “atheist fearing”) people of Illinois. Here’s the sign being provided by the Freedom from Religion Foundation: And it will be…
Non Religious Charities
Posted by Greg Laden on December 8, 2008 An outstanding resource dug up by PZ Myers, is Techskeptic’s Data Daily’s list of Non-Religious charities. The list is here.
Washington State Faithful In Tizzy Over Atheist Affront
Posted by Greg Laden on December 8, 2008 The atheists … this time disguised as hedonistic sun worshipers … are at it again. A “Winter Solstice” sign bought and paid for by the Freedom from Religion Foundation identifying religion as “Myth and supersition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds” was put up at a holiday display. A whole bunch of religious yahoos got…
, which is now available for the 
