godlessness
pharyngula | July 29, 2010They just keep popping up out of nowhere, all shrill and assertive and extreme. Take a look at this new guy getting all in-your-face about religion. And he's a Scot, too; even worse.
Disreputable rascals, every one.
pharyngula | July 26, 2010There is a site called Christopher Hitchens Watch which, I believe, began with a good cause: it's been around for about 5 years, and initially focused on Hitchens' support of the war in Iraq. That was a good idea: I disagree with him on that colossal waste of lives and money, and his views are fair game. But these kinds of sites that focus on single individuals can fall victim to obsession, too, and demonize everything about their target, and that's unfortunate. It undermines the legitimate complaints when they fuss over the petty, and even worse, when even a little generosity gets…
pharyngula | July 25, 2010We're happier out of a straitjacket than in one.
I saw something wonderful at a science fiction convention a few weeks ago. At these events, people often put on odd and extravagant costumes, and I saw one rather obese young man who'd made a minimalist choice: he'd come as one of the Spartans from the movie 300, which meant he was standing in the crowd wearing a red speedo and a bright red cape…and nothing else.
Now imagine this same young fellow at an event at your high school. It would have been brutal. I know; when I was in high school, I was a little poindexter, ostracized, laughed at, and…
pharyngula | July 22, 2010CFI wants your help: they're looking for video public service announcements that make a point about freedom of expression. You can do it! Although they do set the bar high with this example.
pharyngula | July 19, 2010I posted the Copenhagen Declaration here a while back. Atheist Ireland has done the right thing by taking it as a starting point and producing a simpler, and they hope clearer version. This is exactly what the motley hordes of the godless need to do: don't expect one document to encompass everything exactly as everyone wants, because that will never happen. Tweak it so it fits your ideals.
We support this amended version of the Copenhagen Declaration on Religion in Public Life. We invite other people and groups to also support it.
Personal Freedoms
Freedom of conscience, religion and belief…
pharyngula | July 18, 2010The most disturbing thing about this video is that, even though it's made by The Thinking Atheist, I can imagine it being shown in a church to the approval of the congregation.
pharyngula | July 18, 2010The idea that the Bible should be interpreted as a metaphor is a good one — because it melts the superstition away.
The metaphor is a powerful tool: it allows a new idea to be expressed in old and familiar terms as an aid to comprehension, and it also allows the lumbering in of a freight of emotion that can add resonance to the ideas. I use them, everyone uses them, I believe the authors of the Bible used them heavily, and they're great; without them, you're left with simple literal descriptions, turning a literary effort into a textbook.
To some people, though, metaphors are anathema. The…
pharyngula | July 18, 2010The Metro State Atheists are gearing up for a charity drive, one that couples feeding the poor with promoting freethought.
Food for Freethought is a food drive that also encourages freethought, freedom of expression, and free inquiry. We plan to accomplish this by giving "Banned" and Freethought books away in exchange for non-perishable food donations, that will be going to Food Bank of the Rockies, during "Banned Books Week", September 27 - October 2 (specific dates below). Our goal is to raise an enormous amount of food for those in need. Most food drives are done during the holidays and…
grrlscientist | July 17, 2010tags: Brother Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist, Atheists at Prayer, prayer, atheism, agnosticism, humor, funny, comedy, fucking hilarious, satire, streaming video
This video features the colorful language and thoughts of my new boyfriend, Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist as he discusses prayer-time etiquette for atheists.
pharyngula | July 17, 2010I just mentioned that Brother Sam Singleton was going to be at Skepticon 3, and now I learn that his tour manager and enabler Cari has had a serious accident just as they were about to go on tour. If you weren't aware of Brother Sam before, here's a sample:
Apparently, atheist evangelist is not a high-paying position, because they have no health insurance. Pay a visit to Brother Sam's website, and his store, and (hint, hint) toss something in the collection plate, if you can spare it.
pharyngula | July 16, 2010Michael Zimmerman, the guy behind the Clergy Letter Project and Evolution Sunday, in which ministers are encouraged to endorse science and evolution, is unhappy with those danged New Atheists who refuse to support his efforts. Jerry Coyne excerpts Zimmerman's complaint.
Oddly enough, although these Clergy Letter Project members are often among the first to fight for all forms of creationism to be removed from our public schools and for evolution to be taught, they have also been relentlessly attacked by "New Atheists." The crux of these attacks seems to take two forms. In the first, clergy…
pharyngula | July 16, 2010Fresh from American Atheists:
MAYBE TONIGHT (FRIDAY, JULY 16)
OR MONDAY, JULY 19, 2010
KAGIN, ATHEISM, CAMP QUESTAND MORE SLATED FOR ABC NIGHTLINE
The long awaited segment called "Faith Matters" of ABC's "Night Line" may air tonight (Friday, July 17, 2010) or on Monday, July 21. We apologize for the confusion, but this is the latest news we are receiving from ABC. The program did not air last night as originally anticipated.
We cannot guarantee this, but we believe it to actually be true this
time. The show may cover Camp Quest, American Atheist's De-Baptism, and perhaps interviews…
pharyngula | July 13, 2010They exist, which is very good news in a country that is 85% Catholic…and the reality of a Croatian atheist community was acknowledged in a major newspaper (google translation, for those of us who don't know the language).
The Enlightenment is busting out all over, it's good to see.
Never mind the horrible Google translation, here's a cleaner translation by Nives Skunca:
When they see us, maybe others will want to 'come out of the closet' — joked Neven Barković, journalist and managing editor of T-portal [Croatian news portal] while our photographer took shots of him in front of the Tesla…
pharyngula | July 11, 2010There's a time to take religion seriously, and a time to laugh at it. Sometimes we have to do both at the same time.
When you read the works of apologists for religion, there's a common theme: they are all very serious. Religion is important. Faith is about a relationship with the greatest being in the universe. We need God to find purpose in our lives. Religion is about community and bringing people together. Rituals are tools to cope with the great events in life, from birth to death.
It's all true, of course, in the sense that believers really do believe that their God matters, and…
pharyngula | July 9, 2010Last night, Stewart interviewed Marilynne Robinson. I do not expect attack dog tactics from Stewart, ever, but I also didn't expect him to so totally buy into her premises. It was very disappointing.
The low point came as Stewart tried to justify Robinson's nebulous argument that science and religion need each other, and he offered stock apologetics.
The more you delve into science, the more it relies on faith.
No, it doesn't. The less you delve into science, and the more superficial your understanding of the evidence, the more likely you are to ascribe its more difficult concepts to faith.…
pharyngula | July 5, 2010There sure are a lot of tough godless women on youtube. Say hello to Zinnia Jones:
We need to bring more people like this out into the public eye.
Not a woman? Not a woman. I'm the one who is gender-confused, and it really doesn't matter — good stuff, and we still need to bring more people like this out into the public eye.