The Real God: An Epiphany

Because I was constantly being told that I'm rejecting God, and I knew that wasn't true, I decided to research rejection, which made me aware of its effects. My studies took me in a completely unexpected direction. The epiphany (pun intended) was rather shocking. The evidence indicates that the personal god is a manifestation of the ego, which explains a plethora of theistic tendencies, including their typical dislike of atheists, who theists subconsciously perceive to be rejecting...

How Could God Have Screwed Up Morality?

This idea of mistake-proofing has been around for 60 years within Japanese manufacturing, where it’s called poka-yoke. We can apply this idea to Christian morality, where it’s glaringly absent.

Russia blocks atheist webpage over 'insulting' believers

A Russian atheist social networking page is blocked on the back of a court ruling that it insulted the feelings of religious believers

The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus

Reprinted from Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them-A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken by permission of Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright c Al Franken, Inc., 2003. "Supply Side Jesus" illustrations c Don Simpson.

I still love Kierkegaard

He is the dramatic thunderstorm at the heart of philosophy and his provocation is more valuable than ever. By Julian Baggini.

Daylights and Nightlights

The problem is that splitting hairs is necessary when you’re trying to suggest your ancient book contains scientific knowledge that human beings couldn’t possibly know at the time so therefore it is information that came straight from a god. These things absolutely do matter when someone is claiming 100% scientific accuracy. I will give a couple examples.

Why Don't Scientists Fear Hell?

"It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."

Why I am no longer a Christian - 0 Overview

Abridged overview of the "Why I am no longer a Christian" series for the purpose of brevity to newcomers.

Hell, by Robert G. Ingersoll

Warm word on the cheerful and comforting doctrine of eternal damnation from Col. Ingersoll's American secular lectures.

Three stupid questions

A pastor tells his flock three things to ask an atheist. You don’t even have to read it to know that a lot of stupidity will follow. But I’m game, give it a shot, believers, and ask me those three things — I’ll try to answer through the incredulity and laughter.

Netflix announces it will air a movie about American Atheists founder - "Americas most hated woman"

Atheist Debates - Supernatural Causation

Many of the claims made by apologists hinge on the ability to confirm the existence of the supernatural and that the supernatural could serve as a cause for various effects. Is there any way to do this? Aren't many theists claiming to be little God-detectors?

Embryology and the Qur'an

The internet provides a vehicle for many to communicate their beliefs. Muslims have also taken to social media (like twitter) to proselytize for their religion. A popular tactic is to claim that the qur'an is filled with modern scientific knowledge. This seems to be a bizarre tactic. The Islamic world has not really been at the forefront of scientific discovery since, well, Copernicus worked out that the solar system was heliocentric before Muslim astronomers.

Beyond Belief '06 - Neil deGrasse Tyson First Talk

Neal deGrasse Tyson explains how religious belief has impacted human progress and scientific discovery over the centuries.

Hastily Written Ballot Initiative, Seeking To Ban Same-Sex Marriage, Would Make All Marriage Illegal

A proposed amendment to the Colorado constitution appears designed to eliminate same-sex marriages. Yet it is so broadly drafted that it would most likely eliminate marriage entirely in the state of Colorado.

Barton: God Opposes Retirement Because It 'Is A Pagan Concept'

Appearing on Kenneth Copeland's "Believer's Voice of Victory" television program today, David Barton declared that God opposes retirement because it is "a pagan concept."

Two-sided Apologetics

Anyone can judge God by what is written in holy scriptures -- but there's a catch.

Pope Francis pounds the 'idolatry of money' in Paraguay speech

Do not " sacrifice human lives on the altar of money and profit," the pope told leaders at a rally where the audience of 4,000 included a gay activist invited by local bishops.

Top 10 Most Common Atheist Arguments—Do They Fail? (4 of 4)

I do my best to take seriously charges against my favorite arguments. The result is better arguments. Let’s take a look at these charges that popular atheist arguments fail.

Congressman: Stop Worrying About Climate Change, Focus On Crimes Against Christians

Instead of climate change, Rep. Jeff Duncan said DHS should worry about "illegal aliens murdering beautiful innocent lives" and "folks who want to do great harm to Christians."

Losing Faith in Religious Higher Education

Raised in an evangelical home. Published by evangelical publishers. Employed by an evangelical seminary and divinity school. That was my life until last year when — at the end of a long and difficult intellectual journey — I concluded I was actually a secular humanist and part of the growing demographic of Americans unaffiliated with a particular faith or church.

Atheist Debates - The Bible Doesn't Say That!

When addressing various doctrinal positions or claims associated with the Bible, some atheists over-reach...exaggerating or misrepresenting what the text says or which interpretation of that text is most likely accurate or common...and so do Christians. How do we address claims in the Bible when it's all a matter of interpretation and context?

When thin-skinned Zoroastrians sue Snoop Dogg, we all lose

Members of India’s Parsi community are suing Snoop Dogg and others for featuring a Zoroastrian symbol in a new music video they’ve deemed “insensitive” to their faith. Whatever comes of this baseless lawsuit, free speech will suffer.

Where are you on this?

I can recognize a bad argument when I see it

Shall I give you an example? Here’s one I’ve actually heard from atheists: “Christians don’t really believe in God, because the god idea is stupid. They only go to church because they’re afraid of death/need social reassurance/were brainwashed.” Another permutation of that is that since the god idea is stupid, the only people who believe in a god are the really stupid people.

Why Satanists Are Fighting America’s Restrictive Abortion Laws

The concept of "pro-abortion Satanists" sounds like the deranged fantasy of a particularly unimaginative conservative politician. They do exist, though, and they have a political agenda: Two weeks ago members of the Satanic Temple filed a federal suit against Missouri's harsh abortion restrictions, claiming such laws violate their First Amendment right to religious expression.

Does belief that God is in control reduce support for government welfare?

There’s an enduring puzzle about religion and government, and it’s about what effect religions have on government welfare policies. That’s down to an intriguing observation: that more religious countries tend to have a weaker welfare state.

Colorado Court Rules Use of Public Funds for Private Schools Is Unconstitutional

The state’s Supreme Court ruled against the district’s voucher program, which was passed in 2011, saying it violated a plank of the State Constitution that explicitly prevents public money from going to schools “controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatsoever.”

Okay, So What about the Historicity of Spartacus?

It’s always something. First it was, “We have better evidence for Jesus than for the contemporary emperor Tiberius.” Matthew Ferguson annihilated that one. Then it was, “We have better evidence for Jesus than for Alexander the Great.”

4 Simple Things Religious Parents Can Tell Their Kids to Build Tolerance for Nonbelievers

As America becomes more secular — 23 percent of us are Nones, according to the most recent Pew Research figures — it’s becoming increasingly important that religious parents talk to their kids about us. Religious kids need to be introduced to nonreligious concepts, ideas and people so that they, too, can build literacy and tolerance for the nonbelievers in their midst.

Countering the Modal Ontological Argument

Note: What follows below is a transcription of the video Ahh the Ontological Argument, where philosophers try to define god into existence. This is going to be about the modern, Modal Ontological Argument put forward by apologists like Alvin Plantinga and defended by William Lane Craig.