Atheism

Though its trailer gives no clue as to its true agenda, this venomous supposed comedy is set in a world where lying is unknown and every word spoken is accepted as truth and where -- not accidentally, the screenplay implies -- God does not exist. Until, that is, failed documentary screenwriter and all-around loser Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) spontaneously discovers the ability to deceive. That quote is from a movie review in The Catholic Spirit Dot Com. Have a look: Has anybody seen it? (Hat tip: Virgil Samms)
Blasphemy Day is the 30th of September. Don't read this blog post in Ireland because there's a 25 thousand pound fine there for the blasphemer . International Blasphemy Day is not just a day. It is a movement to dismantle the wall which exists between religion and criticism.BritainDanishEmbassy The primary focus of the Blasphemy Day movement and indeed this website is not to debate the existence of any gods or deities (there is an abundance of fantastic websites which deal explicitly with that argument all over the internet, check the Web Links section). The objective of International…
If you really want him to exist. If he wants you to want him to exist. Or to want you to think that he wants him .... Oh, never mind, just watch. Hat Tip Colloquy
tags: atheists, atheism, famous atheists, satire, zakiechan, streaming video This video is NOT an argument for atheism... It's a defense of atheists from right-wing religious -- christian, muslim, jewish and other fundamentalist -- hate-mongers. This video received the award for "Excellence in Humanist Communications" from the Harvard University Humanist Chaplaincy.
You've certainly heard of the ARIS 2008 survey from Trinity College. One of the more interesting aspects of the survey is the demonstration that there is a sex difference in patterns of religions identification. Below I give some links where this has been discussed, but I want to note that in many discussions one of the first things people say ... quite reasonably ... is that the differences seem small and potentially well within the normal sampling error of a survey. The reason people think that is because they are accustom to survey data in relation to political polling where sample error…
From American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population: "Belonging" refers to people who self-identify as "X." For example, someone who asserts that they are an atheist. "Belief" refers to the content of one's avowed beliefs, as opposed to label. Someone who asserts that they "do not believe in God" is placed within the atheist category. As you can see, many more people avow atheist & agnostic beliefs than will own up to the terms. "Soft agnostic" refers to those who say they're not sure about the existence of god, while "hard agnostic" are those who believe there's no way to…
I watched this rather bizarre Kirk Cameron video today. He's promoting a plan to distribute Origin of Species with what seems to be a scurrilous preface to college students. His argument is that college students need to know the truth about evolution. I don't know how far he'll get, but I suspect many people will be favorably inclined, most college students are impressionable and dumb, and a non-trivial subset will probably reconsider their nominal acceptance of evolution. I only think back to an acquaintance who was a computer science major, and raised irreligious by his anthropologist…
TenderThunderfoot's Bitch Writes Darwin's Book. Hat Tip: Davem
Imagine finding the following quote on the wall of your teenage child's social studies classroom: "No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H.W. Bush What would you do?
Yay!!! Wooohooo!! Yipeeeee!!!! OK, let's see what Kirk has to say about it:
Religiosity and teen birth rate in the United States: Increased religiosity in residents of states in the U.S. strongly predicted a higher teen birth rate, with r = 0.73 (pthe partial correlation between religiosity and teen birth rate, controlling for income, was 0.53 (p However, the partial correlation between teen birth rate and religiosity remained high and significant when controlling for abortion rate (partial correlation=0.68, p They used data from the Religious Landscape Survey to create an index of religiosity from the following variables: 1) Belief in a God or universal spirit:…
Steve Harvey is cool with me being an idiot. And you too, likely (being an idiot that is). What I want to know is this: If there are so many smart people in this world, why are there still Steve Harvey?????? hat tip
Who: Eric Maisel, PhDWhat: free public presentation, "Living Well Without Gods"Where: University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (and Rivington St.) [map] 273 Bowery (Bowery & Houston) [map]When: 730pm, Thursday, 17 September Eric Maisel, PhD, is the author of more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction. His latest book is The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods, in which he discusses how to find rich personal meaning in life despite the absence of beneficent gods and the indifference of the universe to human concerns. In his book, Maisel addresses atheists who don't always…
Who: Eric Maisel, PhDWhat: free public presentation, "Living Well Without Gods"Where: University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (and Rivington St.) [map] 273 Bowery (Bowery & Houston) [map]When: 730pm, Thursday, 17 September Eric Maisel, PhD, is the author of more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction. His latest book is The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods, in which he discusses how to find rich personal meaning in life despite the absence of beneficent gods and the indifference of the universe to human concerns. In his book, Maisel addresses atheists who don't always…
Go to a large family gathering. (Or a similar gathering. Borrow someone else's large family if you don't have one.) When somebody decides you are all going to pray together with bowed heads, start to bow your head so everybody else sees you doing it, but after everyone's heads are supposed to be bowed, unbow your head. Have a look around. You will find yourself looking at a few other people who are also looking around. Those are the other atheists. Introduce yourself after the prayer, and then you can make arrangements for an orgy or a baby-roast or something.
A three year old study has resurfaced on the blogosphere with this recent mention on the daily atheist. The study (cited below) is here, and the older commentary is here. Since this is still utterly relevant, I thought I'd make it the subject of a post. I don't think there is anything in it that is not absolutely current. I guess, I have to be honest with my 14 year old daughter. No, Julia, you are never going to be president. Or even mayor. Because as far as I can tell you are an atheist. If you took up some religion and made it look like you were sincere, then maybe. Otherwise,…
Who: Eric Maisel, PhDWhat: free public presentation, "Living Well Without Gods"Where: University Settlement, 184 Eldridge Street (and Rivington St.) [map] 273 Bowery (Bowery & Houston) [map]When: 730pm, Thursday, 17 September Eric Maisel, PhD, is the author of more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction. His latest book is The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods, in which he discusses how to find rich personal meaning in life despite the absence of beneficent gods and the indifference of the universe to human concerns. In his book, Maisel addresses atheists who don't always…
Since the bloggingheads "diavlog" with David Dobbs and me was the first science-oriented installment to come out (more or less) since the repudiation of Bloggingheads.tv by Carl Zimmer and Sean Carrol, and now Phil Plait and PZ Myers, I think I should say something about why I did it and what I think about the whole thing. I want to start out by saying that my remarks are provisional. I will not tolerate sophistic mumbo jumbo in the comments. Instead, I employ what my Lese friend JM used to tell me as as staring point: "I've got an idea or two for you. If you don't like them, just give…
"You also must rely on Science." Well, OK, he didn't actually SAY that, but he did DO that... Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson underwent 10 hours of surgery to repair an irregular heartbeat that put the 79-year-old at higher risk of a deadly stroke or heart attack, his lead surgeon said Monday. Robertson was back at home in Virginia Beach after his release on Thursday from a hospital in North Carolina. He ultimately will be fitted with a heart monitor, Dr. Andy C. Kiser said. That is not the kind of surgery the average poor folk are likely to get, it seems to me. Anyway, he had his chance…
According to the constitutions of the United States and the State of Kentucky, church and state must remain separate. But then the Kentucky Legislature passed a homeland security related bill that stated that the security of the Commonwealth (State) depends on Almighty God. That wording was thrown out yesterday by a Kentucky Judge. This was the outcome of a lawsuit by ten residence of Kentucky and the American Atheists. The stte Attorney General has not decided if he will appeal. Oh, do it, do it, do it!!! Appeal this one!!! Might as well get this cut and dry decision as high up as it can…